


Architects of Tomorrow

by Rennaren



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Accidental overdose, Aftermath of Violence, Courtroom Drama, Deleted Scenes, Depression, F/M, Family Vacation, First Date, Fluff, Gen, Halloween/Domestic fluff, Mentions of the Specimen Case, Overprotective Ginoza, PTSD, Post Sybil, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Prequel, Self-Medication, Songfic, Suicidal Ideation, Tomorrow AU series, Vomiting, Weddings, slight series spoilers, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2018-11-13 13:43:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 77,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11186316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rennaren/pseuds/Rennaren
Summary: As I was writing my Tomorrow series I had a number of ideas for additional smaller stories and 'bonus stories', that for various reasons I decided not to include as a part of the main story-line, though I still wanted to write and post them and have decided to do so here.Stories under this title will predominately come from before, during, or after the Tomorrow series, with each chapter containing a different story.In order to keep the stories in chronological order chapters may at times rearrange, when this occurs the most recently added chapter will be indicated in the tags.





	1. Ships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late one night while doing research for the locations mentioned in Gathering Strength (with one exception they are all RL locations.) I noticed that Ginoza and Kiyoshiko would have lived within twenty minutes distance of each other for the majority of their lives, and had the thought that given that, it is possible that there could have been times where they were in the same place at the same time, even if they didn't properly meet until later.  
> Once I'd had that idea, this story came to mind and demanded to be written, so I stayed up till 3am that night writing it. 
> 
>  
> 
> **This story begins prior to the series, in 2093.**

_This is pointless! He was the one who left us, why should we even bother going to see him!_ raged nine year old Nobuchika Masaoka internally, slouching down further in his seat next to his mother on the subway, scowling deeply as he folded his arms over his chest. _It isn’t fair that he makes us suffer like this!_

For some reason on this day the subway was emptier than usual, allowing Nobuchika to see through the people standing to the other side of the subway car. His scowl deepened as he caught sight of a girl who appeared to be about his age sitting between an older couple who leaned over now and then to murmur quietly to her, patting her arm or shoulder reassuringly. The girl had black hair which was cut short to just below her ears, and was wearing sunglasses. She sat stiffly, as if uneasy about something, while her fingers moved restlessly in her lap.  
Nobuchika scoffed scornfully, looking away once more and pulling his folded arms a bit more tightly around himself. _As uncomfortable as she looks, she’s still got it better than us. At least her family is still together._

The subway came to a stop and Nobuchika watched out of the corner of his eye as the older man leaned over to speak quietly to the girl again who nodded, a faint hint of a smile touching the corner of her lips as she answered in halting, accented Japanese. The older couple got to their feet, gently pulling the girl to her feet before guiding her past where Nobuchika and his mother were sitting and off the subway, each keeping a gentle hand on one of the girl’s shoulders.

 

**~~~~~~~**

 

“Let’s see what Aisho-san has for us today Kiyo-chan.” said Kiyoshiko’s grandfather, patting her hand where it rested in the crook of his elbow as he led her inside the small bookstore located in an out of the way corner of Tokyo. “Maybe he finally managed to find us a braille copy of that Tolstoy book. …He did say he’d found something new for you to read.”

“I hope so…” said the high school aged girl, who now stood two or three inches taller than her grandfather, her eyes concealed behind a fashionable pair of glasses which had dark lenses. “Though I would be happy with almost anything,… It’s been so long since I’ve had a new book I can read on my own.” She paused for a moment, ducking her head slightly before turning apologetically toward the older man, her free hand running nervously through the end of the nearly waist length pony tail that was draped over her shoulder. “…I mean I enjoy when you read to me too, of course… but…” 

Kiyoshiko’s grandfather laughed fondly, patting her hand once more. “It’s just not quite the same as reading something for yourself hmm? …Well whatever book Aisho-san has for us is yours if you want it. Call it a treat to celebrate you starting your last year of high school.”

“…Come on Ko, we’ve been here an hour already.” complained the strident voice of a teenage boy from deeper inside the bookstore. “Just pick one, so we can go!” 

“But Gino, I can’t just choose one. Do you have any idea how rare some of these books are now?” replied another teen boy’s voice, sounding long-sufferingly patient as if repeating a portion of a conversation that had been had many times in the past.

“We’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.” retorted the other boy’s voice, accompanied by the sound of books being put back on shelves a bit roughly. “Besides some of those books probably aren’t good for your psycho-pass.” The boy added in a slightly quieter but still audible voice.

“…Okay,… okay Gino. Fine, I’ll just take this one for now.” muttered the calmer boy’s voice. “You don’t have to be so loud…”

“Good, then let’s go!” said the first boy as he emerged from behind the bookshelves. He wore glasses and had straight black hair which was cut a bit long in front, allowing it to hang down over his forehead and nearly into his eyes. 

Trailing behind him, drawn by his friend’s grip on his upper arm, the second boy, who had dark spiky hair waved a book as he was pulled toward the door. “I’ll take this one Aisho-san. Is it okay if I pay you next time?”

Aisho-san nodded, smiling as he waved slightly to the boy. “Next time then Shinya-kun.” 

“Thanks.” called the boy smiling widely, before twisting in his friend’s grasp as they shouldered past Kiyoshiko and her grandfather. “Okay Gino you can let go now! I’m coming.”

The bookstore was suddenly quiet once the two boys departed. Kiyoshiko’s grandfather shook his head, as he led Kiyoshiko toward the counter. “Hmph… kids these days. Don’t have any respect for other people,… shouting like that in a bookstore…” 

“Now, now.” said Aisho-san shaking his head. “They’re good boys really. Just get a bit rowdy from time to time. I’m sure you still remember those days too from when we were young.”

“Well… I suppose.” murmured Kiyoshiko’s grandfather, a wistful smile crossing his face for a moment, before he shook himself free from whatever memory had come to mind. “Now… we’d come in for some new books today. I think you’d mentioned having something for Kiyo-chan here?” He said as he reached up to pat Kiyoshiko’s shoulder.

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

Nobuchika Ginoza sighed, shoving his hands more deeply in his pockets as he walked along the path through the park. Dime’s leash was looped around his wrist, though the large husky walked calmly next to him, rather than pulling at the leash as some less well behaved dogs were prone to do. 

It had been a stressful first week of work, now that he and Kogami were newly minted inspectors, though assigned to different divisions of the MWPSB. _It would have been nice if Kogami and I could have worked together…But at least,… this way I don’t have to spend too much time around ‘Him’._ thought Ginoza, pushing up his glasses as his lips pressed into a thin line. _It had been more difficult than I had envisioned, seeing my fath-,… Masaoka…_ he reminded himself firmly. _Again._

He paused for a moment as Dime wandered toward the edge of the pathway, sniffing curiously at something. Then moved to one side to allow a tall dark haired woman, who was wearing dark glasses and had her arms linked with an elderly man and woman who were on either side of her, to pass by him. 

As they passed the dark haired woman, who looked to be about his age and was wearing her hair in a long braid down her back, tossed her head laughing at some comment the elderly gray haired man on her right had made. Ginoza half turned to look over his shoulder, watching them as they continued on down the path. The three of them chuckled together at some shared joke, the petite elderly woman looking over at the older man and young woman with an affectionate expression.

Turning away Ginoza tugged lightly on Dime’s leash, signaling the husky to return to his side, as he began walking once more. The image of the happy trio he had just passed lingered in his mind, stirring up a slight feeling of envy, which he ruthlessly tried to squash before it could tarnish his hue. _I’m better off alone, I don’t have time for that sort of thing._

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

“I’m so proud of you Kiyo-chan.” said Kiyoshiko’s grandmother looking up at her granddaughter with a smile. “You did wonderfully tonight, conducting that tour in front of all those people for the opening of the new wing in the museum. …And all those details about the paintings you had to remember…” The elderly woman shook her head admiringly. 

“They’re lucky to have you there.” agreed Kiyoshiko’s grandfather, nodding as he walked down the sidewalk between the two women, one on each arm. “…And now to top it off we’re going to finish off the night celebrating your birthday, Kiyo-chan. I made reservations at your favorite restaurant.” 

The tall dark haired woman walking between them smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Thank you Soba-chan, Sofu-san. I couldn’t have done it without your help though. Especially since Sofu-san was the one who talked to one of his old business friends and got the job for me in the first place.”

“Nonsense.” scoffed Kiyoshiko’s grandfather, shaking his head. “He just couldn’t pass up the chance of having someone as smart and beautiful as you working for him. …Now, let me see how pretty you look in that dress again.” He said as he freed his arm from Kiyoshiko’s grasp. 

“Sofu-san…” murmured Kiyoshiko laughing softly, a light blush coloring her cheeks as she stepped away slightly, turning to show off dress that she was wearing. The teal A line dress had long lacy sleeves with a skirt that came just below her knees. Her black hair was gathered in a simple bun at the nape of her neck but slightly to one side, and as usual she was wearing her dark glasses, despite the late hour.

“Hmm,… just like I said. Beautiful.” repeated Kiyoshiko’s grandfather, nodding with satisfaction before a sudden shout broke the night air. 

“Kogami, you idiot! Why wouldn’t you listen to me?!” screamed a biting male voice off in the distance ahead of them.

Kiyoshiko and her grandparents continued walking, eventually coming close enough for the elderly couple to see a series of MWPSB barriers set up, along with several Komissa-holo cloaked drones warning people away. 

“I told you to wait!” shouted a tall thin man who was wearing glasses, his comments seemed to be directed at another man with spiked hair on a stretcher who appeared to be unconscious and was being loaded into the back of an ambulance. The tall man struggled against a third man, stretching a hand out toward the form on the stretcher.

“Inspector Ginoza, please.” pleaded the man, who had brown hair and was wearing a trench coat, while trying to restrain the young inspector. “…Nobuchika,… you have to calm down. Kogami will be fine, discovering Sasayama’s body was just a shock.”

Finally as the ambulance pulled away Ginoza calmed, snarling something before pushing roughly away from the trench coated man. The dark haired inspector was panting slightly as he sank down to sit on the curb. He lowered his head, one hand cradling his forehead as he murmured, half to himself. “…Why wouldn’t he listen?” _…Why does everyone always leave me behind…_

Kiyoshiko’s grandfather took hold of his wife and granddaughter’s arms guiding them away from the scene, the cheerful mood of the evening broken. 

“…I wonder what happened?...” murmured Kiyoshiko softly, turning her head as if looking back over her shoulder. 

“Probably another of those murders.” muttered Kiyoshiko’s grandfather in a low voice, his expression darkening. “They keep finding the bodies hidden under holographic displays out in public…”

“Dear!” scolded Kiyoshiko’s grandmother, shuddering. “You shouldn’t talk about such horrible things.”

“All right dear… All right.” replied Kiyoshiko’s grandfather nodding as he squeezed his wife’s arm reassuringly. “I won’t mention it again.”

 

**~~~~~~**

 

Nobuchika Ginoza made his way into the cemetery, walking between the rows of headstones until he came to one marked Sae Ginoza. Slowly lowering himself to kneel in front of the headstone, Ginoza leaned forward placing the bouquet of flowers he was carrying at the foot of it. Settling back on his heels he remained where he was for a few minutes before getting to his feet. 

Hearing a soft murmur of voices a short distance away Ginoza looked over, seeing a tall woman with wavy black hair cut short to just below her jaw, the woman also wore dark glasses which concealed her eyes. _Likely to hide that she’s been crying…_ reasoned Ginoza. 

She was standing with a few elderly people near a headstone which was marked with the names of two people, though Ginoza was unable to make them out from where he stood.  
Instead he looked back to the woman, watching as the people with her patted her arm or shoulder comfortingly before moving slowly away. Once she was alone the woman bit her lip, fidgeting with the handkerchief she was holding for a moment before beginning to cry softly. 

Ginoza felt a pang of sympathy, and rubbed at his chest absently as if to dispel it. _…Losing someone,… is never easy…_ He thought, before pushing up his glasses, beginning to feel uncomfortable. 

He turned to leave straightening his shoulders as he walked away, already beginning to steel himself for the day’s work tomorrow. Division One would be getting a new inspector. A rookie fresh out of the academy, though she was rumored to be impressive, having graduated at the top of her class. _Hopefully that will prove to be the case._ thought Ginoza as he stepped into the parking lot of the cemetery. _I doubt there will be time to break her in slowly…_

**~~~~~~**

_Like ships, passing one another in the night, perhaps never to meet again. How many times would paths cross, unnoticed until finally, one day..._

 

“Um, excuse me… but is everything all right? I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear you two talking…” began the tall woman with slightly wavy, dark hair, who looked as if she were in her late twenties or early thirties. She was wearing dark glasses and carrying a slender white stick.  
Ginoza and Akane both turned toward her as she continued speaking. “I live nearby and you’re welcome to come to my house for something to drink and to cool off. …It is a rather hot day after all.”

**~**

“I’m Akane Tsunemori, and this is Ginoza-san. And the dog belongs to Ginoza-san, his name is Dime.” said Akane returning her attention to the dark haired woman after looking over at Ginoza for a moment longer. 

“It’s nice to meet all of you. …I’m Kiyoshiko Michi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art for this story was commissioned from Picatin, on Gaia Online.


	2. Recipe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what goes into making a first date?  
> ...In Ginoza and Kiyoshiko's case a first date involves: 1 cup cooking lessons, 2 tablespoons of food philosophy, a dash of romance, and just a pinch of angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This story takes place in January 2117 between the events of Gathering Strength (story 7) and Lines of Allegiance (story 8) of the Tomorrow series.**

“The pieces should be about this size.” explained Kiyoshiko holding up a bit of carrot closer to the camera of the tablet setting on her kitchen counter, as an example.

Ginoza studied the slice she held up for a moment, then nodded as he resumed carefully chopping up his carrot making the slices a bit smaller this time. Ginoza studied the pieces of the vegetables he'd already cut, the pieces were of various sizes and thicknesses, with some of the variation occurring even within a single piece. He pressed his lips together as he mentally compared them to the, as far as he could see, perfectly and evenly sliced vegetables that were on Kiyoshiko's cutting board. “All right.” He replied after a moment, before glancing back toward the image on the screen sitting a short distance away on his kitchen counter, wearing a slight frown. “…How can you cut everything up so quickly and consistently?”

“Practice. …Lots and lots of practice.” Kiyoshiko laughed softly, offering Ginoza a gentle smile as she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the counter top in her kitchen. “You’ll get better at it Nobuchika, with time. …Pay attention to what you’re doing now though so you don’t cut yourself.” 

The dark haired enforcer grunted softly in response as he looked back down, returning his attention to the task in front of him.  
Several weeks had passed since the incident which had caused he and Kiyoshiko to actually discuss their feelings toward one another and resulted in defining the nature of their relationship. After some additional discussion they had agreed on an idea for a ‘date’ of sorts and at Kiyoshiko’s suggestion they planned a video call to give them a greater sense that they were actually sharing the activity. Though Ginoza was certain that the video aspect of it was more for his benefit than Kiyoshiko’s, a thought that caused him a bit of embarrassment while at the same time warming him.

“…Done.” said Ginoza as he finished chopping up the carrot and added it and the other vegetables to the pot. 

“All right.” replied Kiyoshiko nodding as she took a step sideways, reaching out to where she had left her braille imprinted copy of the curry recipe on the counter. “…Now, let’s see what the recipe says to do next…”

Ginoza glanced over at his copy of the recipe, his eyes quickly skimming down to the next portion of the instructions as he read it aloud. “Add the tomato paste and all the spices, then mix well. …So that would be two teaspoons coriander powder, one teaspoon of cumin powder, half a teaspoon each of turmeric and red chili powders and two teaspoons of curry powder...”

“Okay.” said Kiyoshiko nodding as she gathered up the spices Ginoza had listed from where she had left them on the counter and moved them a bit closer to her stove.

“…It sounds as if it will turn out to be rather spicy, with the curry powder and all the other spices in it.” murmured Ginoza as he picked up the bottled spices which were sitting next to where he was working, looking at them with a frown.

“Is there something wrong with that?” asked Kiyoshiko, raising an eyebrow as she measured out the spices and stirred them into her pot of curry. 

Ginoza hesitated for a few moments, feeling as if he was possibly causing extra trouble, especially given that he hadn’t objected to the choice of meal they would cook until this point. “…I’m-… not overly fond of spicy foods…” he confessed in a quieter voice.

“Hmm…” murmured Kiyoshiko in response to Ginoza’s comment. “Well, then we can just cut down on some of the spices a bit, particularly the curry powder. Just start with… maybe half of the amounts the recipe calls for, and taste it to see what you think. That will make it milder, and you can always add a little more if you want to.” 

Ginoza frowned slightly, glancing toward Kiyoshiko’s image on the screen. “But that’s not what the recipe says, are you sure that it will still turn out all right if we deviate from it?”

“Of course it will. Curry especially is one of those dishes where variation isn’t a problem at all. …That’s probably why there are dozens, if not hundreds of different ways to make it.” Kiyoshiko shook her head, smiling slightly as she turned her face toward the camera for a moment before returning her attention to the pot on her stove. “Flexibility is part of what makes it interesting.”

“If you’re not going to follow the recipe, then doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose of using one?” said Ginoza, his gaze flicking sideways toward Kiyoshiko’s image as he continued stirring the pot on his stove. “It’s been my understanding that one of the main parts of cooking is doing exactly what the recipe says. And that using the ingredients in the indicated amounts is the only way to ensure the result you want.”

“I had a feeling that would be the part of cooking that would appeal to you.” said Kiyoshiko laughing softly as she spooned out a bit of the curry in her pot to check the taste.

Ginoza felt his cheeks warm slightly as he looked down at the pot of curry in front of him. “…Well it’s not an entirely unreasonable assumption that it would be the case when cooking. It’s only logical, otherwise there would be no need for a recipe.” He retorted, trying to keep the hint of defensiveness he felt out of his voice.

“No, it’s not unreasonable.” agreed Kiyoshiko offering Ginoza a smile, which after a few minutes managed to coax one in return from him as he relaxed once more.

A short time later their curry was ready and Ginoza and Kiyoshiko each filled a plate from their respective pots before starting to shift the equipment for their call over to their tables so they could settle in to eat.

“You are partially right though, on one level it is about following recipes and measurements… but there’s more than just that. With cooking there’s also room for experimentation, and of course everyone has their own individual tastes that go into the food they make. …Depending on their likes and dislikes and what the food they grew up eating was like.” said Kiyoshiko looking over with a slight smile as she carried her plate over to the table in the kitchen, before coming back to relocate the tablet to the edge of her table, placing it in front of one of the chairs. “…Some people even say that you can tell what someone is feeling and what they’re like as a person from their cooking or what sort of foods they like.”

Ginoza had started to lift his spoon to his mouth, but lowered it again at Kiyoshiko’s last statement, scoffing lightly. “Who in the world came up with a ridiculous notion like that? …How could a person be able to tell something like that from food?”

Kiyoshiko picked up her spoon, waving it slightly in the air as she spoke before lowering it to her plate. “Well think about it. If the person that’s doing the cooking is upset about something then their attention isn’t going to be on what they’re doing so their work will be a lot more haphazard than it would if they were feeling better and were more focused. And if someone is in a good mood they’re likely to be a little more generous with their favorite ingredients so the food will be more flavorful and taste better. …And look nicer too, since the person preparing the food will take more care and arrange everything on the plate rather than just scooping it on to get it done.” 

“Hmm,… I suppose that much of it makes sense.” murmured Ginoza after a few moments thought.

Kiyoshiko paused to take a bite of her food before grinning as she continued a few moments later. “Besides it’s not even a new concept really. …I remember my grandmother telling me about a character from some old books she read when she was younger that thought the same way. He worked in a shop that granted wishes, and couldn’t remember his past or what the food he makes tasted like after it was made, but cooking was very important to him. And even though he couldn’t remember those things he felt like he knew a little of what his past had been like and decided that it must have been at least somewhat good because people liked his cooking. There was even a part of the story that was focused on him trying to get a woman he was teaching to cook to eat the things she made in order to get to know and accept herself. He believed that when someone cooks a part of them is expressed in the food.”

Ginoza’s expression was skeptical as he took a bite of his food. “I see. …It sounds like a somewhat incomprehensible storyline, or at least a convoluted one. I wonder if that’s just a trait of the literature of that era,… at least it seems as if it must be from some of the things I’ve heard about other books from that time period. Particularly those geared toward adolescents and young adults.”

A smile teased the corners of Kiyoshiko’s lips. “…Hmm really?”

“Yes… Kagari… was fond of those sort of things.” said Ginoza nodding and looking down, nudging some of the rice on his plate with his spoon for a moment before looking back up. “He would sometimes tell everyone in Division One about the stories he would read or the games he played,… even if the person he was talking to at the time would get angry because they wanted him to focus on work instead...”added Ginoza his voice becoming a bit softer as a hint of a regretful smile touched Ginoza’s lips before he continued in the same soft, slightly melancholy tone. “…Some of the storylines were beyond outlandish.”

“…Nobuchika…” murmured Kiyoshiko her voice softening sympathetically, as a hint of a frown crossed her features.

_…What’s wrong with me? Why would I possibly think bringing up something like that is a good idea right now? We’re supposed to be enjoying this but I’m turning it into a disaster._ Taking a breath Ginoza shook his head trying to pull himself free from his thoughts, scooping up a bit of rice and curry in an attempt to appear unaffected. “…I’m sorry… I’m ruining the meal.”

“No, don’t be sorry. It’s okay.” said Kiyoshiko gently as she shook her head. “…And you’re not ruining anything.” 

Looking toward the screen of the tablet Ginoza hesitated a moment, studying Kiyoshiko with an uncertain expression, before relaxing as he decided she truly meant what she said. Curbing the desire to take her hand, Ginoza nodded gratefully instead making a soft sound in reply, before he resumed eating a few minutes later. A close, comfortable silence settled over the pair for a time before their conversation resumed, moving on to other topics.

They had nearly finished eating when Kiyoshiko turned the conversation back toward a part of what they had been talking about earlier. “…Going back to the topic of outlandish stories, there was another I thought of related to food and people expressing themselves through it, from an old movie my grandmother told me about. A girl was trying to keep her mother’s restaurant open but wasn’t good at cooking. Then one day when she was at the market someone gave her a crab and all of a sudden a bunch of strange coincidences started happening, and she suddenly could cook well. But whenever she would cook the people that ate her food would actually experience the same emotions she did. For instance, when she was sad or upset all the people would start crying, or get angry. Or other things would happen. …It sounds strange I know,… but apparently someone thought it would make a good movie.”

As Kiyoshiko laughed while finishing her explanation of the movie, Ginoza smiled chuckling a bit as well. “…Perhaps we should try to locate that movie to find out if it’s really as strange it sounds. It might be interesting to see if there’s somehow something lacking in the description you were told that would make it more sensible if it’s actually watched…” His voice trailing off as his gaze returned to the image of Kiyoshiko on the screen. Ginoza paused as he realized what he’d suggested, before asking hesitantly. “…Um that is,… if you would even be interested in a movie…”

“Why not? I’ll be able to hear it just like I do everything else, Nobuchika.” said Kiyoshiko her voice sounding faintly chiding before she paused, one shoulder moving in a shrug. “…I don’t usually watch movies on my own very often, but watching one together sounds fun.” She finished with slight smile, then added. “I’m afraid I don’t know what the title of that movie is though.”

“All right.” said Ginoza smiling as he nodded, relieved that he hadn’t unintentionally been insensitive enough to suggest an activity Kiyoshiko couldn’t participate in. “It’s fine …I’m sure I’ll be able to figure out some way of finding it anyway.”

Kiyoshiko nodded in reply, reaching up to tuck a few stray tendrils of her hair back behind one ear, looking toward the camera with an almost shy smile. “…Hey Nobuchika,… I’m glad we spent time together like this. I enjoyed it.” 

“Me too.” agreed Ginoza his lips curving into a soft smile in return as he nodded. He paused studying Kiyoshiko for a few minutes. “…I was wondering, the things you were talking about earlier, about ‘parts of a person being expressed in their cooking’. Do you believe such a thing could be possible?”

“Hmm…” murmured Kiyoshiko thoughtfully, as she considered her answer for a few minutes before nodding. “…Yes, I guess maybe I do, to an extent.” After a pause she grinned, laughing softly as she teased. “Though that must mean you know me pretty well since you’ve been able to have some of the things I’ve baked several times already.”

Ginoza scoffed lightly, the corners of his lips curving upward for a moment before he sobered, taking a breath before speaking again. “…Then maybe… someday, ...I’ll be able to cook something for you too.” He murmured quietly. 

Kiyoshiko nodded, smiling warmly at Ginoza through the video channel. “I’d like that. …I’ll look forward to a time when we can be together. …And you’re able to cook for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art for this story is by the talented Hakui-Kitsune of Gaia Online, she can also be found on [Deviant Art.](http://hakui-kitsune.deviantart.com/)
> 
> And if anyone knows/can figure out either the movie or the series Kiyoshiko mentioned, I have a virtual cookie for you. :)


	3. Seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Michi's 'abduction' of Akane had found a willing participant in the form of Chief Douglas Armato, as strange or perhaps not so strange as that may seem. At first glance that part of the story may have seemed to be over when Akane Tsunemori returned to Japan, but in fact there were still a few loose ends left, and some details needed to reveal how everything was tied together. 
> 
> This story better explains why Armato assisted in the kidnapping and reveals in greater detail, parts of Kiyoshiko's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was writing Lines of Allegiance I originally had the idea to make the rendezvous that takes place here between Professor Michi and Chief Armato be the epilogue for that story. I also wanted to at some point write the story of how they met, and more details of Kiyoshiko's story.  
> Eventually I decided that I liked the focus at the end of Lines of Allegiance to be on the fact that Akane was starting to think a little about how to bring down Sybil. So I decided to mesh the other two ideas into this story instead.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story begins about a week after the events in Lines of Allegiance, story 8 of the Tomorrow AU series.**

Gray light filtered over the waters of Lake Isabella before reflecting off of a slightly battered brown truck with a set of blue and red lights attached to the top designating it as a law enforcement vehicle. It was turning off the paved road running parallel to the curves of the north shore of the lake, which was still silent in the early hours of dawn, and onto the smaller dirt road that ran for several yards before ending in an area that was mostly cleared of brush and marked with tire tracks a bit closer to the water’s edge. This area was a cove that had once been designated as part of a recreational and fishing site, though the lake itself was a bit smaller now than it had been in the past when the dam it was formed by was fully intact.  
Turning off his vehicle the driver of the truck stared through the dust streaked glass of the front window at a man who was silhouetted by the dawn as he sat at the edge of the water fishing. Grunting softly to himself the driver shook his head before grabbing the fishing pole leaning against the passenger seat and getting out of the truck to walk toward where the other man was sitting.

“You always pick the most deserted spot you can find, don’t you?” asked a gruff voiced grumble from behind the seated fisherman causing him to glance back over his shoulder before waving a hand toward the spot beside him. 

“What else would you expect me to do?” retorted Hiro Michi, as he glanced back over his shoulder toward the man who had spoken. “Perhaps we should have met in your office instead, or waltzed into the governor’s office even?” Professor Michi looked at Armato out of the corner of his eye as the Chief of Police seated himself, raising an eyebrow fractionally. “We both know it’s likely I would be detained, if not arrested, and brought in for questioning in connection with what happened when Inspector Tsunemori was here. …Given my history of publicly questioning some of the governor’s actions.”

“Hmm,… I guess you have a point.” grunted Douglas Armato in response as he leaned over to dig in the tackle box placed between them briefly before taking out a lure which he attached to his fishing pole before casting his line in to the waters of the lake in front of them. “…That doesn’t make the long trip less of a pain though.” 

Professor Michi smirked subtly as he reeled in his line a bit. “Well then, it seems I owe you an apology for the long trip. …And also my gratitude for your assistance in establishing contact with Inspector Tsunemori.”

Chief Armato shook his head as he settled back more comfortably on the grass, holding his fishing pole in loose fingers as he gazed out across the lake. “Nah,… you don’t owe me anything. …After all how many years has it been that we’ve known each other now?...”

“It has been twenty-eight years now.”

“Huh.” muttered Armato thoughtfully several minutes after having looked sharply over to where Professor Michi sat. “…Yeah,… I guess it really has been that long since then…” Armato added his mind going back to the incident now nearly thirty years in the past, when they had first met, his eyes becoming unfocused as they moved toward the distant shore of the lake. 

 

****

~~~~~~

****

****  


Dust and wafting gray smoke clouded his view of the area as police Sergeant Armato pulled his SUV to a stop and shifted it into park before getting out. The red and blue lights from the other emergency vehicles and flames from a few scattered fires cast eerie shadows over the rubble of what had once been a store and trading post located just past the outskirts of Santa Barbra, known for catering to the needs of some of the smaller somewhat distant towns in this part of the California Territory. More than half of it had been demolished by what had been preliminarily reported as an accidental explosion. 

Sergeant Armato frowned as he scanned the people milling around the area, some of whom were working, but many were simply standing and watching as they talked amongst themselves. As he caught sight of a man and woman in their late twenties with Asian features who seemed somehow out of place Armato’s eyes narrowed, noticing that they were digging through the rubble as if searching for something.  
He had been aware of the influx of Japanese refugees in other territories recently as Japan was exiling many of its outcasts from the country, and remembered hearing also about the trouble that had been caused in other areas as a result of their presence. Given that it was just as likely they were involved as not and it was a place to start his investigation at least.  
“…I guess it was just a matter of time before we got some out here too.” muttered Armato under his breath as he started toward the woman, who happened to be closest to where he was standing. As he approached he called out, ordering her to stop what she was doing and leave everything for the police and medical personnel. When the woman ignored him to continue digging through the rubble Armato reached out to grab her arm, pulling the dark haired woman to her feet. “Hey! I said stop what you’re doing, you could be destroying evidence.” 

The dark haired woman spun around as she was grabbed, twisting in Armato’s grasp, flinging out an arm to try to break his hold as a flood of rapid, distressed words poured from her lips none of which were in a language Armato could understand. Tears streamed down her face as she continued trying to fight against Armato, and push him away.

Armato tightened his grip on the woman’s arm, reaching out to grab her wrist as well to try to avoid being hit as she tried to pull away. “Whoa, calm down! I can’t understand you. Stop fighting and tell me what happened here, in English! Don’t make me take you in for assault.” As the woman twisted away from him once more calling out to an Asian man who had looked up when Armato had pulled the woman up, and was now getting to his feet as well. Armato tensed when the man stepped away from the pile of rubble he was digging through and started toward where he and the woman were. As if picking up on Armato’s reaction the man slowed and raised his hands up to his shoulders, calling out to the woman in some language Armato assumed was Japanese, before starting forward once more. 

“Chiori …In English.” repeated the raven haired man again in English this time, as he came up behind the woman grasping her shoulders firmly before putting his arms around her as she turned to bury her face in his chest. Looking at Armato he spoke again, in heavily accented but understandable English, his voice steady and relatively calm in spite of the obvious distress in his eyes. “My wife was explaining that our daughter was separated from us when the explosion occurred, and now we are unable to locate her.” said the man pausing for a moment before adding “…There are others who are still missing as well. We need to dig through the rubble as quickly as possible to locate any survivors first before anything else is done. But I will answer whatever questions of yours I am able to afterwards.” 

Sergeant Armato frowned slightly as he opened his mouth, intending to make some comment to the effect that there were enough people already working and that the foreign man’s resistance to being questioned could be taken as an attempt at interfering with his investigation if Armato were so inclined. However a shout from another part of the ruined store drew both of their attentions away before Armato could speak. 

“Quick over here! We found some more people!” called a blonde man, waving an arm as he briefly stepped into sight before turning back to return to helping clear the rubble. 

At the man’s words the raven haired woman, who had been identified as Chiori, cried out and hurriedly began scrambling up the pile of rubble. Sergeant Armato looked over, his eyes briefly catching the raven haired man’s before both of them moved to follow in Chiori’s wake. 

As they reached the crest of the pile one of the people who had been working was just finishing shifting the last of several pieces of what might have once been some shelves off of a woman’s still form, the man reached out to check for any sign of life then shook his head motioning for one of the other people nearby to help with the body. Just visible under woman’s body was a second smaller form, the hand that lay visible was that of a young child.  
Chiori surged forward at the sight, dropping to the ground to kneel at the edge of the hole, clutching desperately at the child’s hand as the woman’s body was lifted clear. 

Armato and another man carefully moved the woman’s corpse a short distance away to where the bodies of the deceased were being gathered while waiting for someone to identify them. He glanced back over his shoulder watching as the raven haired man gently pulled his wife back from the hole in the rubble so that emergency medical personnel could lift the small girl onto a stretcher before carrying her down toward one of the waiting ambulances. The pair followed the stretcher downwards, with Chiori occasionally being assisted by her husband, until they reached firmer ground. As their daughter was being loaded the man caught Chiori’s arm when she started to climb into the back of the ambulance saying something to her and squeezing her hands before letting go and turning resolutely back toward the demolished store as the ambulance pulled away.  
Climbing up onto a bit of rubble the raven haired man motioned toward some of the bystanders who were milling aimlessly around the area, calling out instructions for them to assist with the injured or begin digging in the places he pointed out. Armato raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling surprise as the man’s instructions were obeyed without protest, and the man himself nodded shortly before moving to assist the new workers with their efforts. Shaking his head Armato moved to join in the work as well.

 

Hours passed before the search for survivors was called off. By then nightfall had arrived along with a light misty rain that steamed against the floodlights illuminating the area, and settled the dust turning it and the ground below into a layer of mud which coated everything. Trying to catch his breath, and wash the images of what he had seen from his mind Sargent Armato stumbled away from the remains of the store and piles of rubble before collapsing to the ground, feeling exhausted and utterly drained. He ran a hand over his face, smearing the fine coating of mud he wore over it, before looking over as someone sat down next to him. 

The mud streaked features of the raven haired man, who had worked beside him ceaselessly since sending his wife and daughter away with the paramedics, were impassive as he looked back at Armato. The man’s bangs had become plastered to his face by the rain, it had also forced him to remove his glasses as the dust on them had turned to mud, clouding the lenses. 

“You should go,… and be with your wife and kid.” said Armato averting his gaze slightly after a brief pause, feeling as if he might have seemed to be staring at the other man. 

The raven haired man raised an eyebrow in response, tilting his head fractionally to one side. “…But did you not still have questions for me Sargent…?” the man asked as he shifted to kneel on the mushy ground, sitting back on his heels facing Armato. 

“Armato.” supplied Sargent Armato in response to the man’s unspoken question before shaking his head. “No,… and there’s not anything more you can do here now. …Go on.”

A hint of an amused smile seemed to cross the other man’s expression for an instant as he bowed his head slightly, the gesture seeming oddly formal given their current state, before getting to his feet. “Thank you Sargent Armato. I will go then.”

“…Hey, wait a second.” called Armato abruptly straightening as the raven haired man started to disappear into the crowd milling around the area. He waited until the man stopped, turning back toward him before continuing. “…That was good work you did today. …I didn’t catch your name?”

The raven haired man came back over to where Armato sat, bending down a bit as he extended his hand to the sergeant. “I am Hiro Michi. …In spite of the circumstances, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

 

****

~~~~~~

****

****  


Chief Douglas Armato shook his head as he pulled himself free from the memory to look over at where Professor Michi sat. “…I can still see it all like it was just yesterday. It was the worst case I’d been on that early in my career.”

Professor Michi murmured softly in response as he reeled in his line, removing a bit of seaweed from the hook before casting it into the lake once more. “An act of terrorism or revenge such as that rarely yields a pleasant result, certainly not immediately after its occurrence. 

“It was a hellish day… and just the start of trouble for your family too…” added Chief Armato with a serious expression, his lips thinning as he drifted back into his memories.

 

****

**~~~~~~**

Emerging from the room of one of the handful of victims from the bombing that was still hospitalized and hanging on in spite of their injuries Sergeant Armato sighed and ran a hand through his dark brown hair, causing it to stand up into spikes as he glanced down the hall.  
Nearly two months had passed since the incident, and despite his efforts Armato still felt as if he were no closer to uncovering conclusive answers as to the bomber’s motivation and confirming one way or another the status, or even the identity of the bomber, though he was beginning to believe that the suspect may have died at the same time that his bomb went off.  
Since then Armato had worked at questioning whoever he could find that had been present at the time of the explosion in an attempt to gather more clues. Hiro Michi, the Japanese refugee who had assisted with guiding the onsite rescue efforts, had continued to provide whatever help he could in the weeks following by putting Armato in contact with any additional eyewitnesses he located through his connections in the local community, limited though they were.  
Recalling that Hiro Michi had mentioned his daughter’s room was located only one floor above where he was now Armato changed direction, heading toward the elevators as he decided to go up to see if Michi had come up with any additional contacts for him,… it would give him an opportunity to see for himself how the girl was recovering as well.

Stepping off the elevator on the floor above, Armato had only taken a handful of steps down the hall before a cry from one of the rooms further down brought him momentarily to a halt. His eyes widened slightly then narrowed as he realized that the room the sound had come from was in fact the room assigned to Hiro Michi’s daughter.  
Sergeant Armato picked up his pace as he began moving once more, all but sprinting down the hall toward the source of the cry and sobbing sounds he had heard, nearly colliding with a white coated doctor who was just leaving the room that Armato had been headed toward. The doctor shot a disapproving look at Armato’s back as the police sergeant came to a sudden stop just inside the doorway of the room as he took in the sight of Chiori clinging to her daughter’s hand pressing it to her cheek as she continued sobbing. Hiro Michi sat just behind and slightly to one side of his wife, his head was lowered to rest on her shoulder from behind with one arm wrapped around her as he stroked her hair trying to comfort her in spite of his own distress. The girl in question was asleep, or perhaps unconscious, he couldn’t tell for certain from where he stood in the door, but Armato’s stomach clenched painfully at the sight none the less.  
“What happened? Is she okay?” asked Armato pushing the words out past the lump in his throat.

Hiro Michi pushed his glasses up onto his head and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes before leaning forward to murmur something in Chiori’s ear. He stood going over to where Armato stood putting a hand on the other man’s shoulder to guide him back out into the hall. “We should speak out here so we don’t disturb her sleep…” the raven haired man murmured putting his glasses back into place as he came to a stop a few steps down the hall from Kiyoshiko’s room. 

“What’s going on?” asked Armato again frowning a bit as he studied Hiro Michi, taking in his worn expression, which made him seem suddenly several years older than the last time Armato had seen him. “What happened?”

Hiro Michi took a breath, swallowing several times before he managed to speak. “The doctor,… just informed us that Kiyo’s… blindness… is most likely… permanent.” explained Michi as his voice wavered, nearly breaking over the last word.

Armato caught his breath, falling back a half step at Michi’s words. “…I-… I’m sorry. …That’s….” the sergeant trailed off, shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead. The two men stood in silence for several minutes before Armato cleared his throat. “Do… you have any idea what you’re going to do now? …Is… there anything I can do?”

“Chiori and I have discussed several possible courses… but none of them definitively. …We were still hoping that there was still a possibility-…” Michi broke off shaking his head as he folded his arms across his chest, his eyes fixing themselves on a point near his and Armato’s feet.

“Of course…” murmured Sergeant Armato as he nodded pressing his lips into a thin line, his gaze falling to the floor as well. After a moment he looked back up at Hiro Michi. “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to help?”

“No there’s nothing you can do…” replied Michi softly, seeming to hesitate briefly before slowly lifting his eyes to look intently at Armato. “…Unless, perhaps… in your work as an officer of the law,… you have come into contact with… smugglers.”

Armato drew back once more, his frown deepening in confusion as he studied the man in front of him. _…Smugglers…?_

 

The light was fading quickly with the approach of nightfall a few months later when Lieutenant Armato brought his vehicle to a stop near the place where Hiro Michi had said his home was located. Getting out he peered through gathering darkness surveying the area for a moment before starting toward the house set some distance away from the other scattered buildings that were in sight. As he reached it and was raising his hand to knock on the door it opened before him to reveal Hiro Michi standing on the other side, his features drawn and tense with worry and strain. “Please come in Serge-…, ah my apologies. It’s Lieutenant Armato now is it not? …My congratulations on your recent promotion.” 

Armato shook his head in response, brushing off Michi’s congratulations as he stepped inside the house waiting until the door was closed behind him before refocusing his attention on the raven haired man. “Never mind that. …We’ve got more important things to deal with right now. …Are you sure about this? That this really is what you want to do?”

Instead of answering immediately Michi glanced toward the other side of the room where Chiori was working to finish packing a small suitcase. The raven haired woman was folding some clothing, as Kiyoshiko sat pressed against her mother’s side with one hand gripping Chiori’s shirt. When Chiori rose from the couch to retrieve something else to add to the suitcase Kiyoshiko cried out as her mother’s clothing was pulled from her grasp and bolted up from the couch to chase blindly after her. A low dismayed whimper trailed after Kiyoshiko as she ran across the floor, her hands outstretched in front of her. The girl made it only a handful of steps before she tripped over the slightly curled up edge of a large floor rug and crashed to the ground. 

Hiro and Chiori Michi both moved quickly to Kiyoshiko’s side. Her father gathered her up in his arms speaking to Kiyoshiko softly for a few moments as he stroked her head to comfort her before surrendering the girl to his wife. Looking closer, Armato could see other scrapes and bruises on the girl’s legs and even a smaller one on her forehead, indicating that she had likely tripped over or run into other things before this.  
As Chiori carried Kiyoshiko back over to the couch with her, Hiro stepped back toward where Armato was. “…What else can I do to protect her? Even simple obstacles are an immense hazard now,… How else can I ensure her safety against the larger, harder to detect dangers that surround us here when she’s unable to even begin to be aware of them herself?” asked the raven haired man, his voice suddenly hoarse.

Armato bit his lip for a moment, taking a breath and letting it out slowly before nodding as he placed a hand on Michi’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly. “…We should get going then.”

Closing his eyes Hiro Michi nodded in response as Chiori drew in a sharp, audible breath, suddenly holding Kiyoshiko a bit more tightly to her. 

A short time later night had fully come, Armato and the Michi family rode in silence as Armato’s vehicle crunched and jolted its way swiftly down the dark and abandoned roadway. Taking his eyes off the road for brief moments Armato’s gaze moved to the rear view mirror to watch the others who were seated behind him in the bench seat that stretched across the middle of the SUV. Kiyoshiko had fallen asleep in spite of the roughness of the ride and was stretched out across the laps of both of her parents. One of Chiori’s hands repetitively stroked her sleeping daughter’s head, the raven haired woman’s gaze was fixed on Kiyoshiko’s face, though she reached up with her free hand to occasionally wipe away the tears that clouded her view.  
Armato glanced away for a moment, feeling as if he were somehow intruding. Finally his eyes moved to Hiro Michi, who sat staring ahead though his hands gently rested on his daughter’s hand and knee as she sprawled across his lap. Catching the other man’s eyes in the mirror, Armato cleared his throat softly before speaking. “You’re sure about this still? …You realize you may never see-…” began Armato before cutting himself off mid-sentence.

“…If I could, I would wish to create a place, here, where Kiyoshiko could grow and live safely. Such a thing would take… perhaps a lifetime and more.” said Michi quietly as he stared through the darkness at his sleeping daughter’s shadowy form. “At this time no country seems to offer the safety found in Japan, …In spite of our uncertainty about the government being formed there.” The former professor paused for a moment shifting his gaze back to Armato. “…And you are sure you are still willing to be a part of this? Will it not compromise your position, and perhaps even endanger your promotion, …Lieutenant?”

“Let me be the one to worry about that…” Armato sighed softly as he nodded, turning his attention back to the road in front of him. “And your folks? …They know what to do, right?”

“They know.” Michi’s eyes narrowed fractionally, the intensity of his gaze drawing Armato’s eyes back to the rear view mirror as he retorted. “You are certain that your connection is trust worthy?”

“As long as you pay him the half upfront, and keep the bargain for the rest after… Yeah, about as trust worthy as you’d find for something like this. …Some sort of ‘honor among criminals’ I guess.” Armato brought the vehicle to a stop as they reached their destination. 

A short distance away a pair of headlights pierced through the darkness, illuminating the area between the two vehicles. The group sat in silence momentarily before the occupants of the other vehicle emerged, walking to a point half way across the open stretch of ground. At a nod from Armato, he and the Michi’s left their vehicle going over to where the others waited. After a short exchange of words Hiro Michi handed over a thick envelope before turning back to Chiori who was holding their still sleeping daughter, as Armato voiced a stern reminder of the consequences of breaking the agreement. Michi gently took Kiyoshiko from Chiori’s arms, holding the girl tightly for a few moments before handing her and her suitcase over to a couple of members of the other group.  
Once Hiro Michi had stepped back, the others returned to their vehicle with Kiyoshiko and drove away, Armato and the Michi’s watched until their lights had disappeared from view before turning back toward Armato’s SUV. Hiro Michi kept his arm around Chiori’s shoulders as they walked, speaking quietly to her in an attempt to console his wife as he helped her into the SUV. 

Just before Michi could climb in with her Lieutenant Armato quickly reached out to grip the other man’s shoulder, his fingers tightened briefly as he spoke quietly after a moment’s hesitation. “…I’m sorry…”

Michi nodded slightly as he swallowed and cleared his throat, his voice low and soft when he finally replied. “…Thank you,… my friend.”

 

****

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****

****  


In Armato’s mind’s eye years passed as he recalled how their friendship had grown from that point as Armato rose through the ranks of the police force to become the chief of police over an area encompassing the majority of the southwestern part of the California territory. Over the years he had closed dozens of cases, managing to capture criminals as well as locate and rescue victims and missing persons alike, often finding assistance in the form of information obtained and passed along from the contacts Professor Michi had developed over the years or in the teams of volunteers the former professor was able to gather for search and rescue efforts in areas where a police presence was minimal. Their relationship had also gradually developed on a personal level as well, coming to include even family dinners at which Armato had often found himself a participant along with Michi, his wife, and adopted son…

“Don’t let it get away!”  
The voice jarred Chief Armato from his memories of the past just as the fishing pole he was holding was nearly jerked from his grasp by the fish fighting for escape at the other end of the line. Armato looked over in surprise at Professor Michi for a moment before he recovered and tightened his grip on the pole as he began reeling in the line, eventually managing to draw the fish to shore where Professor Michi reached down to pick it up. Armato watched as the other man removed the hook from the fish’s mouth before adding it to the icefilled cooler sitting nearby. 

“An excellent sized fish.” commented Michi glancing over at Armato as he secured the lid of the cooler. “Chiori will be pleased have it to cook for dinner tonight. …Will you join us?”

Armato thought briefly as he put more bait on his hook, then shook his head. “I should try to be back in town by then. ...Another time though.” As Professor Michi nodded in acceptance, Armato cast his line into the lake once more.  
“Um,… I was sorry to hear about Evan. …He wasn’t a bad kid, even if he had been hanging around with some less than savory people before…” said Armato with a touch of hesitation as Professor Michi settled back down where he had been sitting before. 

A wave of sadness passed over Michi’s face seeming to age him briefly as he nodded in response. “Thank you.”

Armato hummed softly before falling silent once more, remaining that way for a time before speaking once more. “Did he really manage to find her?...”

Professor Michi looked over his features brightening slightly. “Yes. …And it seems I have you to thank for that knowledge as well. Without having spoken to Inspector Tsunemori I would never have realized how close I was to finding Kiyoshiko again, after all these years… Or have had the opportunity to speak with her.” He pulled a folded picture from his pocket as he spoke, it’s edges already becoming worn from being handled so much in the short time that had passed since Akane had given it to the Professor, and offered it to Armato.

Armato looked at the picture briefly, managing to immediately pick Kiyoshiko out of the people in the photograph, before looking back up at Professor Michi. “So… do you think it did any good? Your getting to talk to Inspector Tsunemori I mean.” 

Michi shook his head, shrugging slightly. “At this time there is no way to really know if it did or not. …It would not be inappropriate to say that it was a gamble on my part, to begin with. …I truly don’t know if I was able to persuade Inspector Tsunemori one way or another.”

“Then what was the point of all that?” asked Armato his voice a bit incredulous as he frowned in confusion at Professor Michi. “Why go to all the trouble if you’re not even sure you convinced her of anything?”

Professor Michi chuckled softly, shaking his head as he turned to look back out across the lake. “You and I are already beginning to become old my friend, before long the world will move on without us. At this point in our lives the young are already becoming the ones guiding the future. The most we can hope to do is to nurture and influence their growth as much as we are allowed. …I had hoped merely to plant some seeds... ”

Armato laughed a bit as he handed the picture back to Michi. “You know,… you really are a farmer. With all your talk about seeds, and planting and growing things,… even when talking about something like this.” Chief Armato watched as Professor Michi looked over at him from the corner of his eye for a moment before the ends of his lips curved upward slightly in a quietly amused smile. 

Armato grinned in return then leaned over to tap the photograph that Michi was holding, to draw his attention to where Kiyoshiko stood laughing with Ginoza’s arms around her waist in the picture that had been taken at the Christmas party. “…So tell me what you know about that guy in the picture. You said you got to talk to Kiyoshiko… did she happen to mention him? Cause he looks like he’s being awfully familiar…”

Professor Michi glanced over at Armato for a moment before frowning slightly as he looked down to study the picture more intently. “Hmm…”


	4. Pause

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akane and Kogami pause long enough for a quiet moment before their attack on the Sybil System begins. 
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> **This story is one of my 'deleted scenes' from the final story in the Tomorrow series. It takes place just after Akane and Kogami left the dining hall in chapter six of Tomorrow, the ninth story in the Tomorrow series.**

Coming to a stop outside Akane’s quarters in the bunker, Kogami let his hand fall from Akane’s shoulder as she opened the door. “Well… I’ll see you later Inspector. …Get some rest, we’ve got a lot ahead of us.” Kogami said as he tucked the hand in his pocket, making no move to leave in spite of his words.

“Right…” agreed Akane nodding as her eyes fell to the floor at her feet. 

“… I’ll go then.” Kogami nodded letting out a breath as he turned to leave. He only took a step before a hand caught his shirt sleeve, stopping him. As the hand let go Kogami turned back, looking at Akane with a searching expression in his eyes.

“…Kogami-san.” began Akane as she let her hand fall, biting her lip as her gaze moved to the side. “…Maybe… we could talk a little longer?...”

Kogami’s hand twitched and he swallowed before replying, his voice low. “Okay.” 

As Akane stepped into her room Kogami unconsciously pressed in close behind her, enough to feel the heat radiating between them. Inside the room Akane came to a stop glancing back over her shoulder at Kogami through lowered lashes.  
Kogami motioned with his head for Akane to continue further into the room before turning his back to her, pushing the door closed. “Go on ahead and get comfortable.” He said without turning around. 

A quiet rustling behind him told Kogami that Akane was doing as he instructed, when he turned after a minute or two of silence Kogami saw that Akane had shed her shoes, socks and blazer. She sat on the edge of the bed in a white crew neck shirt and dark pants with her legs curled under her. 

“…There doesn’t really seem to be anywhere to sit.” commented Kogami offering a momentary twist of a smile after looking around briefly. 

Akane eyes moved to survey the room, before glancing away momentarily as she bit her lip, nodding. “…You could make yourself comfortable too, Kogami-san.” Akane added after a pause, in a soft, barely audible voice as one hand moved to pat the edge of the bed next to her, inviting Kogami to sit beside her. 

After hesitating for a moment Kogami took his cue from Akane, and bent to undo his boots, leaving them near the door before he padded across the room.

“…So… what was it you wanted to talk about Inspector?” asked Kogami as he seated himself on the edge of the bed, putting a short distance between himself and Akane. 

 

Time passed as Akane and Kogami chatted, the space between them decreasing, and sitting next to Akane as they talked Kogami found himself all too aware of her closeness. Of Akane’s shoulder that was almost but not quite brushing his, the warmth of her body and the faint scent of Akane’s perfume. All combining to make the urge to touch her, to pull her close, stronger.  
Feeling a desperate need for something to occupy his hands Kogami took his pack of Spinels from a pocket, turning the box around in his hands for a moment before tapping out a cigarette. He had already lit it when he stopped, glancing over at Akane. “…Ah, sorry.” said Kogami stretching out an arm to put out his cigarette in the ashtray sitting on a small nightstand next to the bed. 

Akane reached out to touch Kogami’s arm, stopping him. “…I don’t mind…”

“Yeah?” Kogami murmured looking over at Akane with a raised eyebrow as he settled back on the edge of the bed once more, placing the cigarette back between his lips after a pause. 

Nodding Akane swayed slightly even though she was sitting, her eyelids beginning to droop. 

Kogami let out a breath as he looked away for a moment, then shifted scooting toward the center of the bed and back so that he was able to sit while leaning back against the wall at the head of the bed. “Come here.” he said when Akane roused at his movement and turned to look over at him. 

“Kogami-san?” questioned Akane, frowning in confusion as she hesitated. 

“It’s okay… “ Kogami stretched his legs out across the bed behind Akane as he held out an arm away from his body, inviting her to come sit beside him. “Just …come here.” Finally Akane moved after a few moments more, and Kogami wrapped his arm loosely around her shoulders. “…You can barely sit up. You need to rest.” He explained.

Akane hummed softly in response, a faint hint of a pouting tone to the sound, leaning almost imperceptibly toward him as if her slight weight would be enough to prevent Kogami from leaving if she fell asleep. Still resisting sleep Akane prompted for their conversation to resume, to which Kogami submitted, in spite of her slowing responses. 

 

Kogami sighed watching as Akane’s head dipped as she started to drowse before jerking up again as the sensation of her head falling forward woke her only to start to drift off again moments later. It didn’t take long before Kogami grew tired of the cycle. Before he could allow himself to think too much on it Kogami set his cigarette aside and pulled Akane onto his lap. Bringing up his legs on either side of her, Kogami settled Akane between them to allow her to lay back against him.

With a startled breath Akane tensed, her eyes widening as she twisted her head to look up at Kogami who froze, internally cursing himself for his rashness. 

“Sorry…” Kogami murmured after a moment, still not daring to move apart from lifting his hands away from Akane’s body. “I just thought-….” He trailed off, in fact he hadn’t really been thinking at all. 

Akane eyed Kogami uncertainly for a few moments as she licked her lips, a slight blush coloring her cheeks, then her fingers loosely curled in the fabric of Kogami’s shirt. “…It’s… okay.” She murmured in a quiet voice glancing away as she leaned against Kogami a bit, though she still seemed far more awake than she had been just before. 

Nodding in response to Akane’s words Kogami slowly lowered one hand to rest lightly on Akane’s arm, giving her time to stop him from doing so, and let his other hand drop to the bed at his side. In an effort to distract the brunette inspector and get her to relax once more Kogami changed the subject. 

“…Do you remember when you’d talked about us meeting again, as ordinary people?” asked Kogami keeping his eyes steadfastly fixed on a point on the wall across from him.

“Yes,…” replied Akane hesitantly, her brow knitting in confusion. “I remember that Kogami-san.”

A hint of a smile came to Kogami’s lips, amused at the puzzled tone in Akane’s voice as she tried to figure out where he was going with the conversation. “It’s been so long, I think I’ve probably forgotten… Think you can tell me what that’s like Inspector? …What would it look like, us living as ordinary people?” 

“...It would be different than how things are now…” began Akane before hesitating, a hint of a frown crossing her face as she tried to push past her weariness to put her thoughts together. 

“Yeah?” prompted Kogami, finally allowing himself to glance down briefly. “What would we be doing, working at the PSB, like before?”

Akane sighed, her eyes closing momentarily, as if bearing up under the weight of the world settling on her. “Not like before exactly, but …I don’t think that’s a job that can be put aside yet. There’s going to be so much that will still need to be done…” She paused, shifting slightly to look up at Kogami. “…Was there something different you wanted to do instead? …There’s a chance you might be able to do it…”

“Nah.” Kogami shook his head as he replied, looking down after a moment to meet Akane’s eyes. “…You’re probably right that there’ll be a lot of work waiting. …I don’t mind going back to help with that.” A hint of a smile teased Kogami’s lips. “Did you have something else in mind for me to do?”

Wordlessly Akane shook her head, relaxing a bit as she let her eyes drift to the far wall that ran parallel to the bed. 

“I guess that’s good to know.” said Kogami after a few moments of silence had passed. “…So we’ll work at the PSB. What will we do when we’re not working? I know it’s not going to be often that’ll happen but…”

“…Maybe, if we can find any stores that still have old books… the kind of ones you like,” began Akane after a bit of thought. “…I can take you there. …If there are any places like that still left in Japan. And you can show the books to me.” 

“That sounds good.” agreed Kogami nodding, his fingers lightly moving in idle patterns over Akane’s arm. “…And maybe I could take you to see the ocean. …Teach you how to swim?” 

“Kogami-san!” protested Akane rousing a bit as her cheeks puffed out, turning pink. The sight drew a chuckle from Kogami, who grinned at Akane as she huffed at him before settling against Kogami once more a few moments later.

“In all this you haven’t mentioned a place to live yet.” said Kogami, as he let his hand move up Akane’s arm to her shoulder. “Where do you think I ought to stay?”

Akane blinked slowly, barely managing to fight off the impending sleep that was weighing her eyelids. “…Wherever you wanted to…”

A moment of boldness seized Kogami, as he looked down at the crown of Akane’s head which had sank until it now rested on his chest. His eyes were serious as he studied her, watching intently for Akane’s reaction. “…What if I want to stay with you?” 

Akane was briefly silent, a span of time during which Kogami scarcely breathed, before a sleepy murmur escaped her lips in response. “…All right.”

Kogami wondered if Akane could feel as well as hear, the rapid sound of his heart beating wildly as her head rested on his chest, since she lay with one ear pressed against it.

“…Goodnight… Kogami-san…” murmured Akane softly with a yawn, her body slowly going limp to rest more heavily against his. 

The gentle, quiet sound of her voice caused Kogami’s heart to clench painfully as his arm unconsciously tightened around Akane’s shoulders. Kogami hesitated, reluctant to press, but some part of him still wanted more. “…Shinya.” He prompted in a hoarse whisper.

Akane hummed sleepily, turning her head to nuzzle Kogami’s chest her fingers relaxing their hold on his shirt as she curled up against him. “…Hmm,… Shinya…”

Letting out a soundless shaky breath Kogami lowered his head to rest on top of Akane’s as he wrapped his other arm around her waist to draw her closer. In the ashtray nearby the last of Kogami’s cigarette turned to ash, the red ember giving off a final curl of smoke before going out entirely.  
Sitting in the darkness Kogami listened as Akane’s breathing turned quiet and even, indicating that she had fallen asleep. His lips brushed Akane’s hair in a gentle kiss that he almost dared not give as he inhaled her scent, and eventually allowed his eyes to close, following her into sleep as well. 

_Sweet dreams,… Akane…_


	5. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you have only fifteen minutes before going into a battle that may end your life, how can you prepare? How can you say goodbye to the person you love?
> 
> This story fills in the 'missing' fifteen minutes that Ginoza and Kiyoshiko spent between chapters 6 and 7 of Tomorrow (the ninth story in my Tomorrow AU series)
> 
> Takes place in 2117.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was writing Tomorrow I had several ideas for things that 'happened' but felt they didn't fit within the flow of the story, so they've sort of become deleted scenes which I'll be working on writing and adding here.
> 
> This particular scene was semi-inspired by a moment from the second book in the Dresden Files, Fool Moon which is written by Jim Butcher.  
> Also while writing this I came across[ this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jRQABVvQc&feature=youtu.be&t=12) which I ended up listening to many times as I was writing and thought it went along with the story well.  
> 

Ginoza sighed as he closed the door on Akane and Kogami, leaning forward to rest his forehead against it once the door was shut. Squeezing his eyes closed, he spread one hand against the wood of the door briefly before his fingers curled into a fist. After a moment Ginoza turned slumping back against the door, feeling the weight of what they were about to do beginning to settle over him. Reopening his eyes he looked toward the bed taking in the sight of Kiyoshiko who was sitting with her face turned toward him, holding the bedsheet to her chest with one hand. Her wavy black hair cascaded over her shoulders, tousled with sleep and their activities of several hours ago, and somehow was made more beautiful for it. The sight made Ginoza’s chest ache and he bit his lip, forcing a breath through his nose as his gaze flicked toward the ceiling, trying to dispel the feeling.

“Nobuchika…” came Kiyoshiko’s voice softly a few minutes later, causing Ginoza to momentarily close his eyes once more against the gentleness her could hear in her tone. “…Is it time?”

Lowering his gaze from the ceiling Ginoza watched as Kiyoshiko slipped out of the bed, taking the sheet with her, as she stepped toward him. He nodded straightening away from the door, sighing again as he replied. “Yes, nearly… but-” _…Are you sure? …You don’t have to do this. There’s still time for you to back out…_ thought Ginoza, the protest nearly springing from his lips.

Shaking her head Kiyoshiko held up a hand to still Ginoza’s words before extending it to him, holding her hand out for Ginoza to take. “…Come here.”

Ginoza stepped forward, curling his fingers tightly around Kiyoshiko’s extended hand as she drew him closer until she could reach up to cup her hand around the back of Ginoza’s head, the sheet around her body being held up by the pressure of their bodies as Kiyoshiko pulled him down to press her lips to his. Groaning softly into their kiss as it deepened and became more heated, Ginoza wrapped his arm around Kiyoshiko’s waist before freeing his hand from hers to tangle his fingers in her hair, endeavoring to lose himself in the moment. 

Gradually their kisses slowed and became softer, trailing off into gentle brushes of contact against cheeks and the corners of mouths mixed with hot bursts of breath as Kiyoshiko stepped backward leading Ginoza toward the bed once more. As they reached it she turned them so that the bed pressed against the backs of Ginoza’s legs as she pushed him down to sit on the edge of it. Once more gripping the sheet to hold it around herself, Kiyoshiko sighed softly running her fingers though Ginoza’s hair as she nudged his head to one side so that she could press a last kiss to the base of Ginoza’s jaw before resting her head on his bare shoulder. “…We need to get ready…” she murmured, her breath ghosting against Ginoza’s throat.

Closing his eyes Ginoza hesitated for a moment, trying to slow his breathing before nodding, reluctantly letting his hands fall to rest on the bed at his sides as Kiyoshiko withdrew. He glanced down for a moment to the scattered articles of clothing on the floor around the bed, reaching out to pick through them. When he looked back up Kiyoshiko had just finished donning her undergarments and was coming back toward him. Picking up Kiyoshiko’s pants from the pile Ginoza murmured softly as he took Kiyoshiko’s hand, guiding it to his shoulder so that she could steady herself as she stepped into the pants Ginoza was holding. Ginoza’s hands lightly caressed their way upwards along her thighs and hips until reaching her waist as he guided the pants on, as he fastened them Ginoza placed a gentle kiss alongside Kiyoshiko’s navel, drawing a shiver and soft gasp from her in response.

Kiyoshiko reached down placing a hand on Ginoza’s head, tugging lightly at the long strands of hair that fell loosely around his shoulders. When she felt him sit back a bit tilting his head back to look up at her Kiyoshiko moved forward to seat herself on Ginoza’s lap, straddling his hips as she ran the fingers of both hands through his hair. A moment later she felt Ginoza’s hands settle at her waist once more, holding her in place as she leaned over to retrieve his hair tie from the stand beside the bed. Slipping it over her wrist Kiyoshiko began combing her fingers through Ginoza’s hair. Kiyoshiko smiled slightly as she gradually felt Ginoza begin to relax under her ministrations, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist as he slumped forward to rest his head on her chest.

Ginoza found himself being lulled by the gentle tugging sensation as Kiyoshiko ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing it and carefully working tangles free as she pulled it back into its usual ponytail. He closed his eyes inhaling deeply as he tried to commit the moment to memory, taking in the scent of Kiyoshiko’s skin, the heat of her legs on either side of his as she sat on his lap, and the warm contented feeling brought on by their contact, trying to draw it out as long as possible. _…If we could only stay here, like this… I think perhaps I could finally be happy._ thought Ginoza lifting his head as Kiyoshiko’s hands stilled to place a tender kiss at the base of her throat.

Kiyoshiko lowered her head to rest her cheek on the top of Ginoza’s head for a moment, her hand cupping the back of his neck before caressing Ginoza’s cheek as she slid off his lap. As she turned, reaching down to retrieve Ginoza’s shirt from the floor, Kiyoshiko could hear the springs of the bed creak as Ginoza rose from it. As Kiyoshiko straightened she sensed Ginoza stepping closer, reaching out to take the shirt from her, followed by the sound of the fabric of the shirt rustling faintly as he slipped it on. Kiyoshiko took a step forward reaching out to grip Ginoza’s upper arm before brushing the collar of the shirt back slightly from the shoulder of his prosthetic arm, her fingers running gently over the scarred skin there. Her touch drew goosebumps to the surface a moment later when she caressed the place where metal met flesh with her lips before tugging the shirt back over Ginoza’s shoulder. Kiyoshiko could hear Ginoza draw a sharp breath as the muscles of his stomach tightened under her hand when she ran it downwards before grasping the bottom edges of his shirt her fingers moving to button it up. 

Stepping past Kiyoshiko once she had finished doing up the buttons on his shirt Ginoza bent to retrieve Kiyoshiko’s shirt moving to stand close behind her as he guided her arms into the sleeves. Ginoza’s hands stroked Kiyoshiko’s sides as he drew her back to lean against him before putting his arms around Kiyoshiko to button her shirt. When he finished Ginoza reached up to Kiyoshiko’s shoulder to touch the ends of a few locks of her hair, a mix of reluctance and remorse in his voice as he spoke quietly. “…You should fix your hair differently than usual. …For your own safety.” 

Once Kiyoshiko lifted her head from where it rested against his shoulder Ginoza reached down to take her hand leading her over to the single chair in the room, turning it backwards before placing her hand on the back of it, instructing her to sit. Taking a brush and a second hair tie and some pins from one of their bags Ginoza stroked the brush through Kiyoshiko’s hair until her hair was smooth and he felt that all the tangles had been removed. Gathering up Kiyoshiko’s hair in both hands Ginoza ran his fingers through it once before beginning to separate it into sections, finding it necessary to focus his full attention on what he was doing in order to maintain the dexterity needed as he began to braid the raven locks. 

Kiyoshiko sat with her arms resting on the back of the chair she was sitting in, her eyes closed as she focused on the calming sensation of Ginoza’s fingers working with her hair. She smiled slightly at the soft noises of frustration that occasionally sounded from behind her, so quiet that Ginoza probably was unaware of making them as he focused on the task in front of him, in spite of the challenge it obviously was for him. _…Even in something like this, he’s determined to do it himself, without complaint once deciding to… He’s so much stronger than he realizes…_ thought Kiyoshiko a feeling of pride warming her chest before she bit her lip, fingers curling in the fabric of her shirt as she turned her thoughts to what lay ahead. _…And this is the hardest of all…_

A scoff of annoyance emanated from Ginoza’s lips as he tried again to tuck the end of the finished braid up under the rest of Kiyoshiko’s hair before pinning it in place. Each time he attempted to do so he succeeded only in dislodging strands of hair as he pressed the braid into place then withdrew his fingers to put in pins, and his efforts were beginning to make the end of the braid appear disheveled as well. Pressing his lips into a thin line Ginoza started to try once more to withdraw his fingers delicately enough to avoid loosening any of his work further, pausing mid-motion as Kiyoshiko’s slimmer fingers slipped between his to hold the braid in position. Seeing Kiyoshiko smile as she turned her head fractionally toward him as if looking over her shoulder while nodding minutely for him to go ahead, Ginoza moved his fingers away to pin the end of the braid securely. Tangling his fingers with Kiyoshiko’s as she lowered her hand Ginoza pulled Kiyoshiko to her feet leading her over to the far side of the room.

Picking up one of the bullet proof vests setting near the door Ginoza handed it to Kiyoshiko wordlessly, before turning to pick up the second one for himself slipping it on smoothly with the familiarity of one who had done so many times before. When he turned back Kiyoshiko had already managed to put her vest on and was tugging at it lightly to settle the stiff garment more comfortably around her. Ginoza stepped closer as he reached out to fasten the straps at the sides of Kiyoshiko’s vest. Ginoza squeezed one of her hands gently as he moved it out of the way, causing Kiyoshiko to turn her face up toward him for a moment before she reached out to fasten the straps of his vest in return, her hands running along his sides with a feather light touch to locate them. 

After securing the second side strap of Kiyoshiko’s bullet proof vest Ginoza looked up, surveying the woman in front of him, who had been transformed into a warrior ready for combat. He gritted his teeth for a moment then cleared his throat, his fingers curling fractionally before he placed his hands on Kiyoshiko’s shoulders.  
“…You-… you understand that at least one, or both of us may not make it through this, don’t you?” asked Ginoza, feeling his voice come out sounding faintly hoarse. “That if that happens, this is the last chance we’ll have to say goodbye.”

Kiyoshiko stiffened at Ginoza’s words, turning her head away she hesitated for a few moments before reluctantly nodding. 

“I want you to say it.” insisted Ginoza pressing his lips into a thin line for a moment as kept his gaze focused intently on Kiyoshiko before taking a breath to steel himself. 

“…Yes, I understand that…” said Kiyoshiko sighing as she let her hands fall away from Ginoza’s sides.

“No. That’s not what I meant.” Ginoza shook his head, his grip tightening on Kiyoshiko’s shoulders. He took another breath, feeling his throat beginning to tighten painfully. “I want to say goodbye, while we have the chance.”

Frowning Kiyoshiko’s sightless eyes snapped back to Ginoza in shock. Brows knitted Kiyoshiko shook her head in confusion as she drew back slightly. “What…?! No! …Nobuchika I don’t understand. …Why?”

Ginoza lowered his head for a moment as his hands slid down Kiyoshiko’s arms to take her hands in each of his, holding on as if his life depended on it, or perhaps merely to ensure that Kiyoshiko wouldn’t simply turn away and leave this time in response to his weakness. “Every time,… whenever something has happened, it’s always been without anything being said, or any kind of closure, not even a simple goodbye. Not with Dad, or Kogami, or Aoyanagi… or anyone else…”  
“I just-… I need-…” Ginoza broke off, biting his lip as he tried to calm down enough to express himself coherently, finding his emotions overwhelming him as he began to find it hard to breathe. “…I want to be sure that it won’t happen now. …I don’t want to have to go through that again, I can’t… I need you to say it.”  
_…Please…_ pleaded Ginoza silently squeezing his eyes closed as he finished speaking, the final word sticking in his throat. A few moments later a sudden warmth passed over the skin of his flesh hand causing Ginoza to reopen his eyes.

Kiyoshiko’s breath washed gently over Ginoza’s good hand as she sighed, lowering her head she brought Ginoza’s hand to her lips to kiss his knuckles. “…I love you, never forget that.” Kiyoshiko’s eyes glistened as she blinked rapidly, her lips meeting Ginoza’s in a last lingering kiss. “…Goodbye Nobuchika…” Kiyoshiko whispered, almost too softly to be heard as her grip tightened for a moment, then relaxed as she let her hands fall stepping away from Ginoza.

Feeling as if something inside him was breaking Ginoza’s hands slipped from Kiyoshiko’s as she stepped back, falling to his sides they felt profoundly empty now that they were no longer filled with hers. Ginoza let out a held breath as he closed his eyes, feeling a prickling wetness forming at their corners, and curled his hands into fists to try to dispel the sensation. 

_…Goodbye…_


	6. Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the destruction of the Sybil System in Japan things are still continuing to change and settle into new patterns.  
> In this story, for Ginoza and Kiyoshiko some of those changes are ones which will require even more growth and moving past old issues, as one of the results of things that took place during the mission to destroy Sybil comes to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was in part inspired by one of [hyperphonic's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/hyperphonic/pseuds/hyperphonic) works which can be found [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4870254/chapters/11553049), particularly the comment on it in which someone mentions that Ginoza has a lot of daddy issues. (which yes, I think he probably does, though even in canon I think he's definitely working on getting past them.)
> 
> Anyway after reading the aforementioned story and it's comments my brain kind of pounced on the idea and ran away with creating a version of it's own tied to my Tomorrow series.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place a little over a month after the destruction of Sybil, in early November of 2117.**

“Tell me about this one now.” said Kiyoshiko as she reached out to the plant that was sitting beside the hole Ginoza was digging, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing the white petals of the zinnia plant.

Ginoza glanced over at Kiyoshiko, a soft smile coming to his lips as he shifted to sit on the grass, propping his arm on his up-raised knee. The trowel he’d been working with dangled from loose fingers as he picked up the zinnia in his free hand, holding it toward Kiyoshiko as she continued examining it by touch to build a mental picture of the plant’s appearance. 

He and Kiyoshiko had spent the morning, it being one of the rare days they both had off from working at the MWPSB, at a nursery choosing flowers to use in making a garden at Kiyoshiko’s house. It was soon to become their shared residence now that Ginoza would be moving out of his quarters at MWPSB headquarters in the next several months due to the influx of new additions to the Public Safety Bureau who were without resources or a place to live, after some of them had been institutionalized for many years under the now destroyed Sybil System. 

The rapid growth in numbers of both enforcers and inspectors was due in part to the need to increase the size of the forces in the MWPSB in the absence of the Sybil System. Additionally in the little over a month since the fall of Sybil, new laws were already beginning to work their way through the gradually re-structuring government. Many of the laws had the added benefit of offering greater freedoms for some enforcers and those who had been labeled as latent criminals despite not having committed a crime. Such as allowing some of them to live and travel freely outside of MWPSB headquarters without being accompanied by an inspector, after going through a somewhat lengthy approval process. Though for the time being travel was only within set boundaries and with the agreement to daily check in’s at their residence via the GPS in their wrist links. Their movements were also still continuously monitored by the GPS as well. In part these changes were due to the need for more space to house the new enforcers, who for various reasons required closer monitoring, within headquarters. 

“This one is called a zinnia. ….It’s a member of the asteraceae or daisy family. This particular plant has narrow leaves and five centimeter blooms with white petals. Though there are other colors of zinnias as well, such as yellow, orange, or pink. It’s a kind of zinnia that is part of the profusion series, a hybrid species that was originally bred here in Japan. And like most zinnias it prefers sunlight, which is why we’re planting it in this part of the flowerbed since it’s a bit less shaded here.” replied the dark haired enforcer, watching as Kiyoshiko’s fingers gently ran along the edge of one of the leaves on the zinnia while she listened to his explanation. 

“I see…” said Kiyoshiko smiling and laughing softly as she let her hand fall, turning to pick up another of the potted zinnias that they had set nearby, moving closer to the edge of the flower bed with it. “And is there anything else I should know about it that you managed to leave out? …Does it happen to mean anything maybe? I know some flowers do…”

“Well… actually it does have a meaning. Several potentially, depending on which plant symbology or flower language you’re choosing to follow.” began Ginoza as he turned back to place the zinnia he was holding in the hole he had dug, gently scooping the soil back in around it. “One of the meanings is loyalty or endurance. …Another possible meaning is thoughts of absent friends... Though the color can make a difference in the meaning as well, white zinnias are a symbol of goodness. ” finished Ginoza pressing his lips into a thin line. 

As Ginoza had been speaking Kiyoshiko had begun digging another hole nearby to plant the zinnia she had brought over in. “…Oh…” she murmured quietly falling silent for a few moments, as she turned over another shovelful of soil.  
When Ginoza sighed taking a breath before easing a bit closer, she lifted her head turning toward him slightly shaking her head with a small smile. “That sounds very complex, having all those different meanings for one flower. Especially if you’re trying to communicate something with them. You’d have to hope that the other person knew all the meanings too and could figure out which one you meant.”

“Yes,… though not many people pay attention to the meanings of plants now anyway.” replied Ginoza, scooping soil into the hole after Kiyoshiko had lowered the zinnia into it. Brushing some of the dirt from his hands, he rose to go over to the remaining flowers waiting to be planted. After pushing herself to her feet Kiyoshiko followed, her fingers brushing against several of the pots until she was able to locate the one she was searching for, picking up a potted plant that was set near the edge of the assembled flora.

“Here, plant this one next.” said Kiyoshiko, holding out the blue iris she had picked out at the nursery to Ginoza. 

“An iris?” asked Ginoza as he took the pot from her, he carried it back to the flowerbed as instructed, setting it down before picking up his shovel once more. “…I don’t remember picking out this one…” 

Kiyoshiko laughed softly shaking her head as she followed Ginoza back, settling to the ground nearby. “You didn’t. …The shopkeeper helped me find it and mark the pot so I could figure out which one it was later, while you were looking at the delphinium. I like it though. I think it’s one of my favorites of what we got today. …At least of what we’ve planted so far anyway.”

“Hmm…” murmured Ginoza, glancing back over his shoulder at Kiyoshiko briefly before returning his attention to his digging. “Did you know this flower has a meaning too?”

“I did know that.” replied Kiyoshiko, nodding as she scooted a bit closer to Ginoza, sitting back on her heels. “…Actually, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh?” Ginoza paused, his grip tightening anxiously on his trowel as he frowned. “What is it? …Did you finally go to a doctor to find out why you haven’t been feeling well lately?”

Kiyoshiko nodded again. “Yes, I did…” she said before pausing, a hint of excitement beginning to creep into her features, unseen by the dark haired enforcer who had his back to her.

Ginoza tensed holding his breath as he waited for Kiyoshiko to continue, an uneasy sensation roiling through his stomach as his mind automatically jumped ahead to begin considering worst case scenarios. _Could she have been hurt worse than we realized during the fight to destroy the Sybil System? She was unconscious for quite a while even after it was over and we got her and Tsunemori to the hospital. Would something that happened then be just starting to show up, and how much worse could it be by now after delaying treatment? …Nothing has happened since then that I don’t know about, right?..._

“…The doctor said the reason I’ve been feeling strange and been sick is because,… I’m pregnant.” continued Kiyoshiko after the briefest of pauses, biting her lower lip to hold back her smile as she waited for Ginoza’s reaction.

“What?...” Ginoza paled, letting the trowel fall to the ground, her words jolting him from his thoughts as he turned to study Kiyoshiko, starting to reach for her hands before pausing and withdrawing, suddenly reluctant to further taint her with his touch. His fingers clenched into fists on his thighs. “Are you sure? That you’re-….” 

“Yes, Nobuchika. … I’m sure.” Kiyoshiko’s smile faded slowly, a hint of confusion slipping onto her features as she seemed to study Ginoza for a moment or two before reaching out to lightly touch the back of his soil stained hand. “…What’s wrong?”

Flinching at the contact Ginoza took a breath, shaking his head as he tried to gather his racing thoughts and calm himself. “I’m sorry. …It’s my fault- …” He paused, biting his lip for a moment as he looked at Kiyoshiko with an expression that was a mixture of worry and fear. “…Are you- …Is it all right that-…?” asked Ginoza hesitantly his voice eventually trailing off with his question unfinished, before biting his lip as he felt his throat beginning to tighten with guilt. 

“Oh. …You-…” Kiyoshiko laughed softly, shaking her head as she gently gathered up Ginoza’s hands in hers. “Nobuchika don’t be ridiculous. Of course it’s all right.” Letting go of one of his hands she reached up to gently stroke Ginoza’s cheek. “Is that what’s bothering you? …Is it just that you were worried that I might be upset for some reason?”

“…But what-“ breaking off abruptly Ginoza squeezed his eyes closed, several minutes passing before he shook his head, clearing his throat softly before speaking. “…What if something goes wrong? And what kind of life could a child descended from two generations of latent criminals have? To put them through the same things-…” _To put a child through the same things I went through, or maybe even worse… how could they not end up hating me. …Blaming me?..._ thought Ginoza pressing his lips into a thin, tight line as memories of the bullying he’d experienced growing up washed over him. 

“That might not happen.” said Kiyoshiko her voice firm as she placed her hands on Ginoza’s shoulders squeezing them lightly to get his attention, a slight frown on her face. “It won’t be the same as when we were kids. Sybil is gone now,… the world is already beginning to change.” She paused for a moment then slipped her arms around Ginoza’s back, one hand moving to cradle the back of his head when he lowered it to rest his forehead on her shoulder as she resumed speaking. “In time,… the stigma will fade, and people will start to forget about it. And if there are people that do cause trouble, we’ll help our child through it if anything like that does happen.” 

_…Maybe,… but even if that ends up being true…_ thought Ginoza, another concern quickly moving in to replace the other. The dark haired enforcer turned his head, hiding his face in the curve of Kiyoshiko’s neck and shoulder as he added in a soft, hoarse voice. “…I was such a terrible son, what if-…” _What if I’m just as bad a father?..._ finished Ginoza mentally, feeling his eyes begin to sting slightly. 

“No, Nobuchika…You shouldn’t dwell on a thought like that.” murmured Kiyoshiko trying to make her voice reassuring as she shook her head, feeling Ginoza’s arms tighten around her waist in response to her words. “It will be okay. You’ll see. …I know that you’ll be a wonderful father.”

“How can you be sure of something like that?” asked Ginoza as he reopened his eyes, pulling back just enough to look apprehensively at Kiyoshiko.

Kiyoshiko shook her head, smiling gently. “Because I believe in you. And I know that you’ll do the very best that you can.” She added, resting her cheek on his shoulder as she hugged him a bit more tightly. 

_…You’re far kinder to me than I deserve…_ thought Ginoza clinging to the raven haired woman as he fell silent for several minutes, trying to push aside his worries.  
A soft laugh, carrying a slight bittersweet edge to it slipped from Ginoza’s lips as he gradually began to bring his feelings under control once more. “…You know,… dad always wanted grandchildren. …He would never forget mention it whenever he could find an opportunity to remind me...”

Kiyoshiko lifted her head, turning it slightly as if looking at Ginoza out of the corner of her eye. “…Now he’ll get his wish.” She murmured, her thumb rubbing in soothing motions at the top of his flesh shoulder as she allowed a small smile to come to her lips. “…That means he’ll probably be happy to hear about it when you tell him.”

“…Yeah…” said Ginoza after a time, letting his arms fall from around Kiyoshiko before wiping at the corner of one eye with the wrist of his good hand as he offered the raven haired woman an unsteady smile in reply to hers.  
Wanting a distraction, and to put some distance between himself and his still unsettled emotions for the time being, Ginoza glanced toward the potted iris still sitting nearby. “…I should get that planted...” murmured Ginoza quietly. 

“All right.” said Kiyoshiko, her hands moving to rest lightly in her lap as she sat back, nodding in agreement. 

Moving over to pick up the iris Ginoza knelt, starting to lift the plant from its pot before hesitating and looking over at Kiyoshiko. “Will-… you help me?”

A brilliant smile spread across her face. “Of course I will. We can do it together.” said Kiyoshiko nodding as she moved to kneel next to Ginoza, her fingers lightly brushing against his as the two of them freed the iris from its pot before gently lowering it into the hole the enforcer had dug earlier.

As they worked to fill the extra space in the hole with dirt Ginoza’s gaze rose from the ground to watch Kiyoshiko, who wore a focused expression as she shifted the soil around the iris, pressing the earth down with her fingertips as she went. A faint sense of hope began to filter through his uncertainty, a hope that perhaps her faith in him wouldn’t in fact prove to be completely misplaced. 

“Why an iris?” asked Ginoza a short time later as he and Kiyoshiko finished patting the soil down around the base of the newly planted flower. As their hands settled atop one another, he took her hands pulling Kiyoshiko to her feet as he rose. Once she was standing Ginoza let go, brushing the dirt from his hands before putting his arm around Kiyoshiko’s shoulders, his good hand moving to tangle in her hair as he rested his cheek on her head. “…I know it symbolizes hope and faith… I suppose that isn’t altogether inappropriate, but…”

“Because I wanted to give you something special when I told you.” murmured Kiyoshiko, slipping her arms around Ginoza’s waist as she leaned into him. “…So I did some research. …There’s another meaning for the iris I gave you that you left out.”

“Hmm?” murmured Ginoza raising his eyebrows as he looked down at Kiyoshiko while idly running his fingers through her hair. “…And what would that be?”

Kiyoshiko smiled tilting her head back, turning her face up toward Ginoza as she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “It’s the whole reason I chose it for this. Another meaning for it is, good news.”

“…Good news.” murmured the dark haired enforcer in a contemplative tone. After echoing Kiyoshiko’s words under his breath several times a small smile slowly came to Ginoza’s lips, as he nodded in agreement, his arms tightening around her. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The picture for this story was commissioned from ladykayra on GaiaOnline, you can find more of her work on [her website.](https://www.sansredraft.com/)


	7. Adjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the Sybil System has been destroyed changes are beginning to occur within the government and the PSB as everyone adjusts to life without the system and Akane, Kogami, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko begin to prepare for the future now that Akane is finally able to share with them what she has known about the Sybil System all this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 5th Anniversary to Psycho Pass!! 
> 
> I'm really glad that I was able to finish this in time to be able to post this story today (Oct. 12th), in celebration of Psycho Pass' 5th anniversary. This installment ended up being a bit longer than I thought it would, but hopefully that's okay. 
> 
> Happy reading and happy Psycho Pass day everyone!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **The first part of this story takes place just before the events of Growth, in late Oct. 2117 and the second part takes place a couple of months later in Dec. 2117**

_…I’m really late. I can’t believe that took so long. …I hope that she doesn’t think that I forgot,… or gave up waiting and left…_ thought Ginoza as he walked quickly down the hall, reaching up absently to straighten his tie, as he stepped into the dining hall. A relieved expression crossed Ginoza’s face as he spotted Kiyoshiko across the MWPSB’s cafeteria, sitting at a table near one of the windows. Ginoza made his way across the room, touching Kiyoshiko’s shoulder briefly as he passed by, to take a seat across the table from her. “I know I’m late getting here. I’m sorry, especially since I was the one who asked if you wanted to meet me for dinner with so little notice. …I thought I would be on time now that the case was closed, but finishing the reports took longer than I thought it would.”

Kiyoshiko shook her head smiling slightly. “It’s fine Nobuchika. Besides I was already here anyway.”

“You were?” Ginoza frowned in confusion as he paused for a moment before settling fully into his chair. “Was there some reason…?”

“Yes, but…you first.” said Kiyoshiko shaking her head as she slid her hand across the surface of the table to lightly touch the back of Ginoza’s hand before sitting back in her chair. “It sounded earlier like you had some sort of news that you wanted to tell me about.”

“Oh. Well yes I did...” Ginoza hesitated suddenly feeling a bit unsettled even though he didn’t yet know what it was Kiyoshiko had been at the PSB’s headquarters for. He pushed back his chair abruptly as he stood, looking down at Kiyoshiko. “Before that we should get something to eat. I did invite you to have dinner. …What do you want?”

“Anything is fine. …Why don’t you order for both of us?” Kiyoshiko motioned slightly toward the set of crutches leaning against the edge of the table, adding after a short pause. “It would probably be easier for you to carry it back than for me to try to, either way.”

“Hmm, all right.” said Ginoza as he nodded, turning he glanced back over his shoulder at Kiyoshiko. “I’ll be back in few minutes.” At her nod, Ginoza walked toward the food preparation units, thinking over the options briefly before ordering the same meal for both himself and Kiyoshiko.

Ginoza’s nerves had steadied somewhat by the time the food was ready and Ginoza had carried both trays back to his and Kiyoshiko’s table. Feeling grateful for the excuse to delay the conversation that getting their meal had provided as he placed one of the trays in front of Kiyoshiko, the dark haired enforcer settled into his chair once more and reached out to pick up his chopsticks.  
After Ginoza had eaten several bites of his meal he looked back up at Kiyoshiko. “So. … How are you doing since we spoke last? …Have-… the nightmares gotten any better?”

“A little, I think…” Kiyoshiko hesitated for a moment taking a breath before she spoke.“…It helps,… having you to talk with.”

“Good.” said Ginoza smiling at Kiyoshiko momentarily in response, even though she couldn’t see it.

As if sensing Ginoza’s smile however Kiyoshiko smiled as well, then gestured as if brushing off the subject before gathering up a bit of the miso ramen in front of her with the ends of her chopsticks, waiting until she had finished the bite before continuing the conversation. “Putting that aside, what was it you wanted to tell me about Nobuchika?”

Ginoza startled slightly, his earlier anxiousness threatening to resurface. “Ah, yes. …That was a part of the reason I’d asked if you could meet me here…” Ginoza looked down, absently nudging the noodles in his bowl around with his chopsticks.

Kiyoshiko nodded, humming softly in wordless encouragement as she waited for Ginoza to continue.

Huffing softly in annoyance with himself Ginoza looked back up, fixing his gaze firmly on Kiyoshiko as he straightened in his chair.  
“I was recently informed that due to the recruitment of so many new enforcers, the housing facilities here at headquarters will be overfilled shortly. …So it has been decided by the Ministry that changes would be made to allow some enforcers that successfully complete a screening process, to move outside of the quarters here and into a form of ‘house arrest’ among the civilian population.” 

“…I see. …And is this something you’ve been thinking about doing, Nobuchika?” asked Kiyoshiko looking up from her meal after Ginoza had paused for a moment. “Do you think you’ll be able to get through whatever their screening process is? …I can’t imagine that the Ministry is thrilled with the idea of having to change things this way or that they’ll make it easy, not to mention what the public reaction would be. …And if you do, what are you going to do about finding somewhere to live afterwards?” 

After worrying his lower lip for a moment Ginoza nodded. “…Perhaps, I’ve considered the idea at least… And I believe that the Ministry of Welfare will ensure that anyone who requests it will make potential landlords aware of their approval, but even so it’s doubtful that there will be anyone that would be enthusiastic about providing housing to a latent criminal. Not to mention the difficulties involved in attempting to find a suitable place while I’m unable to go anywhere outside this building. …Though if I were able to manage it, it would allow for more of a sense of normalcy for…well… us…” explained Ginoza his voice growing progressively softer before trailing off into silence as he looked over at Kiyoshiko, who had sat listening patiently.

A short silence fell between the two of them before Kiyoshiko nodded to herself, as if coming to some sort of decision. “Then… don’t.” 

Ginoza’s face fell before he hurriedly schooled it back to impassiveness, lowering his gaze to the table. _Of course. Even after everything it’s not an unexpected or even unwarranted reaction. …After all actually publicly being in a relationship with a latent criminal is very different than anything we’ve had to this point. …Little wonder that there would be second thoughts now that the actual potential for it to be something existing beyond the confines of the MWPSB is becoming a reality…_ thought Ginoza biting his lip as he briefly closed his eyes. He was certain he hadn’t misinterpreted, but as painful as it was, he had to be sure.  
“I’m-… not certain I understand what you’re trying to say…” murmured Ginoza lowly, steeling himself for Kiyoshiko’s response as he reopened his eyes, keeping his gaze locked on the table top.

“I’m saying… that you could come stay with me.” said Kiyoshiko shaking her head as a hint of a smile teased the corner of her lips. “…If you wanted.”

“I-…” Ginoza hesitated, taking a shaky breath in an attempt to steady himself before continuing. The fingers of his good hand gripped the edge of the table nervously as he lifted his eyes to Kiyoshiko’s. “…Are you sure?”

Kiyoshiko nodded, reaching out to where Ginoza’s hand gripped the table. “But it’s all right if you’d rather-…”

“I do.” The words cut sharply across whatever Kiyoshiko had been about to say, and she broke off frowning uncertainly. Ginoza tried to ignore the anxious fluttering sensation in his chest, and slow his thoughts into something coherent as he let go of the table’s edge to grip Kiyoshiko’s hand instead. Warmth rose to his cheeks as he continued. “…I mean, I want to. …To come and stay, that is.”

Kiyoshiko’s smile spread brilliantly across her features, soft laughter slipping from her lips as her fingers curled around Ginoza’s hand. “Okay.” 

“Okay.” echoed Ginoza nodding. Letting out a breath Ginoza found himself smiling in return as he chuckled slightly, and squeezed Kiyoshiko’s hand, an unusual feeling of lightness filling him. A few moments later Ginoza released Kiyoshiko’s hand, sobering a bit though he still wore a subtle hint of a relaxed smile as he picked up his chopsticks once more to resume eating.

After a bit of light conversation Ginoza inclined his head toward Kiyoshiko taking advantage of a momentary pause to redirect the topic of discussion. “Now I believe it’s your turn. …Are you going to let me in on just what you were doing here, even before I’d asked you to join me for dinner? 

“All right. I did want to discuss it with you first, before I made a final decision. …Actually it has a bit to do with your news, in a way…” Kiyoshiko sat back, lowering her chopsticks to the table before she continued. “…I’m thinking about resigning from working at the museum and taking a job here, at the MWPSB.” 

“You’re what?” questioned Ginoza drawing back slightly as he studied Kiyoshiko with a slight frown. Mentally he tried to remind himself to actually listen before reacting too strongly, as he continued. “What is it that made you suddenly decide to quit your job and work here,… of all places? I know that you understand that this is potentially an extremely hazardous line of work, we’re discussed that before. And you’ve seen that first hand and up close recently.” 

“I’m not going to be in the field, believe me I have no doubt that that’s not a place I belong. The job I was thinking about would be an office job. Like you were saying before Nobuchika, a lot of new enforcers are going to be joining the MWPSB soon. …More than there ever has been at one time before, and even with new inspectors too it’s going to take some time for everyone to adjust to a lot of the changes that are going to be happening.” explained Kiyoshiko pausing briefly before adding. “And even then the inspectors won’t be able to handle seeing to the needs of all the enforcers in addition to the rest of their work the way you and everyone else did in the past. …So another change that will be happening around here is that the personnel department is going to have to expand too. …Especially the portion that serves the enforcers.”

“…I see…” Ginoza sighed folding his hands on the edge of the table in front of him. “…But why you? …To be honest I’m not sure that it’s wise to be putting yourself in an environment where you’ll be exposed to latent criminals more than necessary. The enforcers in Division One are exceptional,… Do you understand that not all latent criminals are like them? Some can be significantly more dangerous.”

Kiyoshiko frowned her lips drawing into a thin line at Ginoza’s statement. “Even if that’s the case I’m sure everyone will have been screened before they’re allowed to become enforcers, …but that’s beside the point. …Do you hear yourself right now Nobuchika? …That sort of thinking is exactly why I want to take on the job. The Sybil System’s ideas about latent criminality are so ingrained that they’re accepted nearly unconsciously. Even by the people that ought to know there’s more to it than what the public accepts and is told.” Kiyoshiko leaned forward in her chair slightly as she continued. “They’re going to need someone who will be on their side and who they can trust to have respect for them and not turn them away or brush aside their concerns simply because they’re classed as latent criminals.”

Ginoza huffed slightly, his frown deepening. “I don’t like the idea of you placing yourself in unnecessary danger. Besides, are you even qualified for the job you’re describing? Managing and even attempting to go so far as acting as an advocate for enforcers is a far cry from giving tours in a museum.” 

“…I know that I can do this job. Just because it’s not what I have been doing, doesn’t mean that I’m unqualified.” retorted Kiyoshiko her voice beginning to take on a hint of irritation while at the same time lowering in an attempt to keep her words from being overheard at the tables nearby. “…The Sybil System always underestimated my abilities.”

“…W-well then what about,-…?” began Ginoza before being interrupted by Kiyoshiko who abruptly pushed her chair back from the table as she fumbled slightly in her agitation with gathering up her crutches and getting to her feet at the same time. 

“What exactly is the problem here Ginoza? …Is it really that you’re worried, or do you just not want me to work here so you’re coming up with any and every reason you can think of why I shouldn’t, rather than just saying it outright?!” snapped Kiyoshiko her voice rising in volume.

Ginoza flinched at the level of her voice, which had caused a few conversations near them to cut off. Feeling his own annoyance building at the rather public scene this was turning into Ginoza leaned forward in his chair starting to reach for Kiyoshiko’s arm to urge her to sit back down.“…Kiyoshiko, I-…” 

“Don’t- …don’t patronize-…” began Kiyoshiko, speaking over the top of Ginoza’s words. As the dark haired enforcer reached for her the color suddenly drained from Kiyoshiko’s face her eyes widened slightly as she gulped, swallowing rapidly for a moment before grasping her crutches and hurrying out of the room. 

Frustration warred with concern in the wake of Kiyoshiko’s departure and Ginoza sat for a few moments after Kiyoshiko had left the cafeteria, not certain what he should do, until he felt the eyes of those that had turned to watch Kiyoshiko leave begin to settle on him instead as he sat there debating with himself. Feeling his face starting to flush with embarrassment Ginoza pushed back his chair and quickly left the room. 

Pausing outside the bathrooms that were a short distance down the hall Ginoza hesitated. _…I should make sure Kiyoshiko is all right but,… At this point would I simply be making the situation worse? …Was I a bit out of line perhaps,… especially given that she offered to let me… move in… just before I begin shooting down her plans when she tried to discuss them with me?..._  
Running a hand through his hair Ginoza sighed as he felt his frustration beginning to wane, hoping that he hadn’t in fact messed things up too badly. He listened for a moment grimacing faintly in sympathy as he heard the sound of someone being sick coming from inside the restroom. “Kiyoshiko are you in there?”

There was a pause before she answered, her voice sounding a bit unsteady, no longer carrying its earlier heat. “…Nobuchika,… is that you?” 

“Yes, it’s me.” responded Ginoza feeling the tension in his shoulders relax a bit at Kiyoshiko’s use of his given name. “…Are you,… all right?”

“…J-just… give me a minute…” replied Kiyoshiko, her words interrupted by a harsh cough, before trailing off into quiet panting as she tried to catch her breath after she finished speaking.

After a few minutes of silence Ginoza bit his lip, his gaze moving over the hallway for a moment before flicking back toward the entrance to the restroom. “Are you finished?”

“I’m not sure. …I think so… maybe.” came Kiyoshiko’s voice, echoing slightly off the walls to where Ginoza stood.

Ginoza shifted uncomfortably as a woman came out of the bathroom, giving him a questioning look as she passed by him. Looking away, he called out to Kiyoshiko again. “…Could you come out here then?...” 

Distantly he heard water run briefly into a sink before shutting off, moments later the door opened to reveal Kiyoshiko. Ginoza frowned slightly as his eyes moved over her, taking in the pallor of her face which currently stood in sharp contrast to the inky blackness of her hair. She seemed a little shaky, and Ginoza reached out to guide her to lean against the nearby wall as he noted the light sheen of sweat that coated her throat.  
“You don’t feel unusually warm,… so I doubt that you have a fever.” said Ginoza a few moments later, lowering his flesh hand after having pressed the back of it to Kiyoshiko’s forehead to check her temperature. “How do you feel?”

Kiyoshiko smiled wanly, her face still a bit pale, though she was beginning to regain her color. “I feel a bit nauseous still,… I think I’m okay though. This has been happening on and off for about a week now, but other than that I feel fine, so I don’t think I’m coming down with anything …Maybe something just didn’t agree with me...”

Ginoza’s expression was dubious as he nodded. “I’m sorry…” 

“Why? Something like that couldn’t possibly be your fault Nobuchika.” Kiyoshiko tilted her head slightly as she turned her face up toward Ginoza.

“…Not about that, entirely… I meant about what we were talking about before.” Ginoza sighed pressing his lips together as he shifted in place, then folded his arms across his chest. “You were right. At this point in time, there are few people that would treat latent criminals… enforcers, with any sort of respect. …Much less care to advocate on… our behalf,… but every enforcer here will likely need someone willing to be genuinely concerned about their welfare at some point. I still don’t think that I can see my concerns for your safety as unfounded…”  
Ginoza paused letting his hands fall to his sides for a moment before reaching out to gently grip one of Kiyoshiko’s arms near the elbow, drawing her a step closer as he looked down at her. “However I also can think of few people who would better fill the role.”

Kiyoshiko let out a surprised breath then bent forward, almost but not quite resting her head on Ginoza’s chest before letting go of her crutches with one hand to wrap an arm around his waist, her fingers gripping the back of Ginoza’s suit coat. “…Nobuchika …Thank you.”

Ginoza tensed momentarily, the idea of such open displays while inside the PSB still feeling strange and foreign, then slid his arms loosely around Kiyoshiko’s back taking the opportunity to run his fingers through her hair before cradling the back of her head as Kiyoshiko added in a softer voice. “…I’m sorry too.” The words brought a hint of a smile to Ginoza’s lips as he nodded, humming quietly in response.

After several moments Ginoza pulled back letting his arms fall, as he felt Kiyoshiko’s grip loosen. “…Now, even if you aren’t sick, I think it may be best that you go home and rest.” Waiting until Kiyoshiko had nodded in response Ginoza added, turning to walk alongside Kiyoshiko as they started down the hall toward the elevators. “…I’ll escort you down and wait with you until the taxi has arrived. All right?”

 

**~~~~~~**

  


 

Months later Akane, Kogami, and Ginoza were gathered in the office which had formerly belonged to Chief Kasei, but was currently being used as Akane’s office while she both ran Division One, and acted as head of the PSB. Akane had called both men away from their duties earlier that day saying that she needed to meet with both of them, and that what she had to discuss with them would be important information for events that would be coming up in the near future now that new laws and a court system were being formed to make up for the current lack of the Sybil System’s judgements. 

“…Once it has, the execution order on Kogami-san is going to be one of the first cases to be tried, since it’s one of the few judgements of the Sybil System that was never carried out. And it’s actually one of our better chances to set a precedent for calling Sybil’s judgements about how crime and latent criminality is handled into question, given the evidence we have for Makishima’s connection to multiple crimes, going at least as far back as the Specimen Case. A defense could be made that in spite of Sybil’s order to do otherwise, Kogami-san was acting in a manner that might be interpreted as one that eventually became necessary to stop Makishima’s criminal acts from continuing. Even though his rank had been reduced to that of an Enforcer by then, there’s still a reasonable chance that the sentence will at least be reduced.” said Akane looking across her desk to where Ginoza and Kogami stood side by side in front of it.

Ginoza glanced over at Kogami frowning as Akane finished. “And you’re going to go through with this? …You’re really okay with taking this sort of a risk Kogami? …Tsunemori? Surely both of you realize how badly this could backfire…”

“You’re right. It is a risk, Gino… Just like everything we did when we decided to take out the Sybil System. But I think it’s another risk that we have to take if anything is going to change. If we can show proof that Sybil was wrong about one judgement, it makes it easier for people to call other judgments of Sybil’s into question.” Kogami turned toward Ginoza, his expression relaxed and composed, though Ginoza could detect a faint hint of uncertainty in the other man’s eyes even though Kogami was nearly able to conceal it with a look of resolution.

“And that’s worth potentially throwing your life away?!” retorted Ginoza in a half-shout, his frown deepening as he folded his arms across his chest.

A frown flickered across Kogami’s face for a moment as he opened his mouth to reply, before Akane broke in holding up a hand to forestall Ginoza and Kogami’s argument. She sighed, lowering her hand as both men turned toward her, before pressing her fingers to one temple rubbing it. “…Kogami-san, Ginoza-san, stop. …I think are some more things I need to explain before you go any further. …Why don’t we all sit down first though? It may take a while.” As she spoke Akane rose from behind her desk walking toward the couches and table positioned toward the back of the chief’s office.  
After shooting a look at each other, both men moved to follow her.

Akane waited until both Ginoza and Kogami were seated on the couch across from her before beginning. “The Ministry of Welfare is already working on reestablishing a judicial system, so it’s only a matter of time before it would have to happen one way or another. …But before the trial starts there are things that you both should know, even though this information can’t be shared with anyone beyond those of us who were there.”

“Does this have something to do with what you wouldn’t tell us before,… about the Sybil System?” asked Kogami leaning forward slightly as he studied Akane intently. “Because we saw it too, when we went down there after the two of you.”

Akane nodded her expression solemn as she folded her hands in her lap, looking down at them for a moment as she let out a breath before looking up once more. “Yes, it does. But there’s more that you still don’t know yet…” 

Ginoza and Kogami listened as Akane explained that the brains they had seen making up the Sybil System not only acted as a hive mind to determine the psycho passes of Japan’s citizens, but also took turns inhabiting various cyborgs who had held key positions within Japan’s government, and the government of SEAUn as well. Such as Chief Kasei and Chairman Han, among others. When she had finished the two men sat in silence for a few minutes as the absorbed the news, before Kogami finally spoke.

“…So that’s why you insisted on making sure that the rebels in SEAUN got to Chairman Han while we were staging the attack here.” muttered Kogami frowning as he exhaled a cloud of smoke from his cigarette.

“Yes.” murmured Akane nodding once again. 

“How-… just how long have you known all of this Tsunemori?” asked Ginoza his brows drawing together as he frowned across the table between them at Akane. 

“I’ve known about Chairman Han since we were all in SEAUn. …and about the Sybil System since just after Kogami-san had …left… when we were trying to capture and stop Makishima.” stated Akane calmly, amid Ginoza and Kogami’s murmured reactions. 

Ginoza’s eyes widened as he drew a sharp breath. “…That long?...” murmured Ginoza nearly under his breath. _…So Tsunemori has been carrying this secret around by herself for nearly her entire career at the PSB… I hadn’t realized just how long this has gone on…_

Akane nodded silently as Kogami grunted softly before reinserting himself in the conversation. “But there’s still more, isn’t there? …Are you going to tell us the rest now too?” asked the spikey haired former enforcer as he ground out his cigarette in the ashtray setting on the edge of the table nearest him. 

“How much do the two of you know about criminally asymptomatic people?” asked Akane after a short hesitation. 

Kogami’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing as he shook his head minutely, shifting toward the edge of the couch as he leaned forward. At the mention of the word Ginoza frowned, his eyes sharp as he studied Akane. 

Akane glanced down, pressing her lips together for a moment before looking back up. “They’re- …people whose crime co-efficient can’t be read by the dominators… Supposedly it’s a rare phenomenon, but it has occurred a number of times from what I’ve been told. And I know for a fact that the MWPSB has encountered a criminally asymptomatic person at least once.” 

“Like Makishima.” Kogami’s lips twisted into something nearing a sneer as he spat out the name at the same time that Ginoza volunteered an additional name.

“…And Toma Kozaburo as well…” said Ginoza drawing a surprised sound from Kogami as he and Akane both turned startled expressions toward Ginoza who continued, sounding grim. “At least that was what I was told by Chief Kasei. …She’d also indicated that he’d been dealt with after being arrested by Division Two, but she never explained exactly how… simply that he’d ‘disappeared’ and ‘no one had been victims of his crimes again’.”

Kogami scoffed, glancing for a moment toward the desk that had belonged to the former Chief. “Okay, so we know who some of the criminally asymptomatic people were, …I’m assuming now’s the part where you tell us what the connection is between that information and Sybil, Inspector?”

Akane nodded studying each of the men as she hesitated for a moment before taking a breath, her expression grave. “The brains that made up the Sybil System, were all those of criminally asymptomatic people. ...That’s most likely what Chief Kasei meant when she told you that Kozaburo Toma had been dealt with Ginoza-san, …and why we were ordered to capture Makishima even at risk to ourselves…” 

 

“What?!” exclaimed Ginoza and Kogami in unison, staring in shock at Akane’s revelation. 

Ginoza could feel the color draining totally from his face before he finally managed to tear his eyes away from the petite brunette inspector and look over to where Kogami sat next to him. Kogami’s eyes burned with an intense, furious anger that Ginoza hadn’t witnessed since Sasayama’s death, making them stand out in even sharper contrast to the somewhat lesser pallor that the other man shared.  
Feeling as if he were in a daze Ginoza sat silently for a few minutes, as Kogami recovered enough to begin putting further questions to Akane, then rose from the couch.  
“…Well if there’s nothing else, you’ll excuse me. I should get back to work…” murmured Ginoza softly as he inclined his head toward Akane and Kogami, feeling a neutral expression overtaking his features, the result of years of concealing his emotions.

“Ginoza-san? …Are you-…?” began Akane, turning her attention to Ginoza with a worried frown, before Kogami’s voice cut in on top of her question with an unusually concerned expression of his own.

“Gino…? Don’t you want-…?” said Kogami looking away from Akane as he started to rise from his seat. 

“I’m fine.” Ginoza said, in what he felt was a remarkably steady voice, holding up a hand to interrupt both of them. “I’ll be in the squad room.” He added before turning fully and making his way out of Akane’s office, ignoring the feeling of two sets of eyes on his back, and on to the elevators punching in the appropriate floor once he was inside. 

Turning Ginoza faced the wall across from him as he folded his arms across his chest, his gaze unfocused as his mind raced. _…The Sybil System was made up of the brains of criminally asymptomatic people. It’s nearly unbelievable, even after having seen it myself. …It sounds more like something out of an old science fiction book,… the kind of ones that were outlawed once the System was put in place. To think that all of this time… it was true._ Ginoza shook his head, a wry laugh slipping out. Though he didn’t doubt Akane’s truthfulness, if it had been anyone else making such a claim he probably would have still questioned its validity. The idea wasn’t one that any reasonable person would have considered a possibility.

 _I wonder how many other people could have known about this? …Surely not many could have, something like that couldn’t have stayed secret for long otherwise. It’s too shocking._ thought Ginoza pressing his lips into a thin line as his frown deepened.  
_…Kagari, had to have found out about the system too. After all he was supposed to have gone to the basement…_ Ginoza’s eyes widened as his breath caught. _…I-I’d always suspected that he was dead but,… if I’d never considered that-… it could be that it wasn’t Makishima’s accomplice that killed him… but the Sybil System itself could have-… have murdered Kagari in order to ensure that it’s secret was kept…_  
_Would it have been able to though? …His crime coefficient wasn’t high enough to trigger lethal eliminator before,… would it have risen that much? …Surely not. But it would have had to…_ Ginoza’s lips thinned as he shook his head, then stiffened as a memory surfaced, a chill running through him at the remembered sensation of Chief Kasei’s hand on his as his Dominator was aimed at Kogami set briefly to non-lethal paralyzer mode before it had shifted to lethal eliminator in accompaniment to the Chief’s words. While Akane’s Dominator had remained in paralyzer mode.  
At the time the incident had been passed off as a malfunction, but with the truth of the system now laid bare before him, another possibility was presenting itself. “No…” Ginoza murmured softly. He fell back against the wall behind him, suddenly feeling sick at the memory. _…It wasn’t a malfunction. …And I almost-… I nearly-…_

Stomach churning Ginoza felt bile begin to rise in his throat as his thoughts continued, until he abruptly slammed his hand against the button to bring the elevator to a stop and open the doors. As soon as the doors slid aside Ginoza rushed out of the elevator and down the hall toward the nearest restroom, one hand clamped over his mouth. In his hurry he scarcely noticed the person coming out of the bathrooms who he brushed roughly against as he passed by them. The door of the closest stall slammed back against the wall as Ginoza burst into it, dropping to his knees in front of the toilet as his stomach lurched a final time before starting to empty itself.

 

Meanwhile in an office on one of the lower floors of MWPSB headquarters Mika frowned as her gaze moved to one of the framed pictures placed on the bookshelf behind the person sitting behind the desk in front of her. “…You won’t say just who it is that’s been trying to make trouble, but it’s not hard to figure out. …I can’t believe you were even allowed a job like this, given how obvious your bias is.” The young inspector’s gaze moved to the woman across the desk, and she folded her arms across her chest narrowing her eyes. “It was him wasn’t it? …Trying to get back at me for all the times I’ve protested the two of you being allowed to have any contact before this.”

“For the purposes of this discussion my personal relationships are beside the point Inspector. However you’re mistaken in your assumption.” said Kiyoshiko, her fingers brushing lightly over the words printed on the page in front of her. “Why don’t we keep things focused on the matter at hand?”

“…So far no formal complaints have been filed against you,… but you’ll need to be more deferential in the way you interact with the enforcers assigned to the PSB Inspector Shimotsuki, even those in other divisions, if you want that to remain the case in the future…” said Kiyoshiko as she consciously made an effort to keep from reacting visibly to the bristling fury of the energy emanating from the young inspector. “…As I’m sure you’re aware the laws in Japan are increasingly granting latent criminals rights nearing those of ordinary citizens. So you’d be wise to begin adjusting accordingly now.”

Mika huffed in annoyance as she frowned across the desk at Kiyoshiko, already starting to rise before pausing momentarily, visibly gritting her teeth as she seemed to force herself to display some level of professionalism. “…Is that all?”

Kiyoshiko hesitated a moment then nodded, closing the file in front of her before folding her hands atop it, deciding that she was unlikely to make any headway with Mika at the moment. “Yes Inspector Shimotsuki. That’s all.”

Humming primly in response Mika rose quickly rounding her chair to make her way toward the door, only breaking stride briefly as she stepped past someone who was on the other side of it. The brown haired inspector snapped a muttered comment under her breath at them as she passed.

 _I understand it can be difficult to adjust to new ways of thinking… and Shimotsuki-san’s not the only one that’s struggling… But she’s so stubborn though._ Ignoring the sound of the other woman’s half heard comment, Kiyoshiko waited until Mika’s footsteps had fully retreated from her office before sighing and rubbing her temples to ease the ache that was beginning to form between them. _…Nobuchika, you said she reminds you of how you used to be, but I can’t imagine you being such a… challenge._

After a few moments a light knock on the frame of the door drew Kiyoshiko’s attention from her thoughts, she lifted her head turning her sightless gaze toward where the door was located. “Yes,… what is it?”

The door opened a little wider as a young woman in her early twenties with her honey brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail peered around the door. “Um, I’m sorry ma’am… I don’t mean to interrupt what you’re doing-…”

Kiyoshiko shook her head directing a slight smile toward the owner of the voice which, she recalled after a bit of thought, sounded as if it might belong to one of the new enforcer recruits that she had briefly met when they had been brought in several weeks ago. “It’s fine. Please, come in Enforcer-…?”

“Enforcer Naomi Hayato Division Four, ma’am.” replied the younger woman, her posture straightening a bit as the woman’s slight shyness was pushed aside by the hint of formality. “…You’re Enforcer Ginoza’s-...?”

“I’m his fiancée…” Kiyoshiko frowned as she slid her chair back from her desk minutely, bracing her hands on its surface to stand. “Just what is this about?”

“I just saw him going into the bathrooms nearest the elevators on the 43rd floor. I think something might have been wrong. He-… didn’t look well.” Naomi paused, a vaguely uncomfortable expression crossing her face for an instant. “…I thought you might have wanted to know.”

Kiyoshiko nodded as she gathered up her guide cane from a drawer in her desk, quickly unfolding it as she walked toward the door. “Yes. Thank you Hayato-san.” She said following the younger woman out into the hall before turning back to lock the office door. After a moment Kiyoshiko returned her attention to Naomi again. “The 43rd floor you said?”  
Naomi nodded, murmuring softly in reply before Kiyoshiko turned, going toward the elevators.

Once the elevator reached the 43rd floor and the doors opened Kiyoshiko stepped out, traveling a short distance down the hall before she began to notice a faint smell of soap accompanied by other and in some cases sharper and more harsh scents such as those of cleaning products among other things. Shifting her course toward the wall slightly Kiyoshiko slowed as she neared the restrooms, feeling the end of her guide cane brush the wall where it met with the floor before drawing the slender stick in closer, reaching out a hand instead to run it along the wall a short distance until her fingers located the edge of the bathroom doorway.  
She paused for a moment to listen before calling out. “Nobuchika, are you in there?”

In the bathroom taking slow breaths in an attempt to bring his stomach, not to mention his thoughts, back under control as he hunched over a toilet, Ginoza tensed at the sound of Kiyoshiko’s voice. Shame mixed with guilt rippled through him along with a fresh bout of nausea, and he swallowed hard against the threat to his control, trying to make his voice sound as normal as possible.  
“Yes. …I-I’m fine. …I just need-…” began Ginoza before interrupting himself to bend back over the toilet, heaving dryly. 

Kiyoshiko frowned pressing her lips together as she felt her stomach shift in sympathetic reaction. After listening for a moment to see if she could detect any sign of anyone else besides Ginoza in the bathroom Kiyoshiko called out once more as she stepped forward. “I’m coming in.”  
As she reached the stall where Ginoza was the dark haired enforcer glanced up, half turning to look up at her panting softly as she slipped into the stall and eased down to kneel just behind and to one side of him.  
“Are you all right?” asked Kiyoshiko frowning slightly. “Did something happen?”

“I-…” Ginoza tried to piece together just how he should answer.  
_I know what the Sybil System really is now. …That the reason Dad was taken away when I was a child,… that he and Kagari died, everything that happened… The reason why I was the person I was before, and all that I lost because of that was because of the minds of people like-…_ Ginoza broke off as the image of what he had seen in the basement of NONA tower surfaced in his mind before gagging again at the thought. 

“Okay Nobuchika. It’s okay, just breathe” said Kiyoshiko, reaching out to rest a hand on Ginoza’s back, rubbing gently up and down along his spine in a soothing motion, as his body convulsed with another dry heave. Kiyoshiko winced at the sound, pressing the back of her free hand to her mouth for a moment as she swallowed hard, willing her stomach to steady itself as she tried to push back the nausea of morning sickness which nearly always was close to the surface the past few months.

Finally after several minutes Ginoza’s stomach seemed to settle at last. He spat into the toilet then reached out to flush it before slumping back against the wall panting softly as he closed his eyes, his face still pale. 

“Are you alright now, Nobuchika?” asked Kiyoshiko after a couple minutes of silence had passed, and she could hear that Ginoza had begun to catch his breath. Kiyoshiko shifted slightly in the narrow confines of the bathroom stall so that she was facing Ginoza as she reached out to touch his knee, a worried expression on her face. “Can- …you tell me what’s upset you so badly?”

Ginoza reopened his eyes as he felt Kiyoshiko’s hand come to rest on his knee. He hesitated a few moments, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Feeling his stomach twist again, Ginoza’s breath hitched at the thought of what Kiyoshiko might think of him once he’d revealed what Akane had shared, though he knew at the same time it could be considered worse to hide the information and potentially leave Kiyoshiko to find out some other way later on. 

“…Not-… not here…” said Ginoza, his voice coming out in a quiet rasp as he replied. 

“…My office then?” asked Kiyoshiko, her frown deepening slightly.

“I- …okay.” murmured Ginoza softly, reaching back to brace a shaking hand against the wall behind him before taking hold of Kiyoshiko’s forearm with a touch of reluctance, pulling her up with him as he stood.

Once they reached her office, Kiyoshiko settled Ginoza in one of the chairs in the room before going to get him a glass of water, which Ginoza had accepted with hands that still shook noticeably even after Kiyoshiko had held them cupped between hers briefly in an attempt to calm and steady him.  
Finally Kiyoshiko lowered herself into a chair that she had repositioned to sit in front of the chair Ginoza was seated in, giving him a few more minutes in which to compose himself before trying to prompt an explanation from him once more.  
Hesitantly, with Kiyoshiko’s urging and murmuring of reassurance several times along the way, Ginoza filled her in on everything that Akane had told he and Kogami earlier. Including what was potentially the most devastating secret of all about the Sybil System.

Kiyoshiko frowned shaking her head. “I don’t understand. …What does ‘criminally asymptomatic’ mean?”

Ginoza swallowed hard, his hands curling into fists against his thighs as he explained the term, then added. “…As far as I know every one of the minds making up the Sybil System was likely responsible for some sort of criminal act.”

“What?...” murmured Kiyoshiko, swallowing back the rush of nausea that twisted her insides, her face paling. “You’re-… You’re not serious, are you?...”

Wordlessly Ginoza nodded, biting his lip as he squeezed his eyes closed for a moment before continuing. “I am. …So everything that’s happened in Japan over the last twenty years and more,… was chosen and put in motion by the minds of… of the perpetrators of some of the most heinous crimes this country has seen in recent times.” 

Ginoza paused lifting his gaze to where Kiyoshiko sat briefly feeling his throat beginning to tighten, as if trying to prevent his next words, before he looked down closing his eyes once more. “And I followed whatever orders the System gave, taking latent criminals into custody. Even- …even executing whoever it said was no longer necessary, and beyond saving. …People like Dad, and Kagari, and who knows how many others who may not have deserved it. ” choked out Ginoza, one hand shooting out to clutch desperately at Kiyoshiko’s as he continued, his entire demeanor becoming increasingly distressed with each word. “I-I never even questioned any of it. …How can you even stand to look at me?!”

Kiyoshiko frowned as she felt Ginoza’s grip tighten on her hand as if he were expecting her to yank it away, his voice breaking softly over the last word followed by a forceful shuddering exhale reminiscent of someone on the verge of tears.  
“…Nobuchika…” began Kiyoshiko after a brief hesitation as she tried to figure out what to say that wouldn’t make things worse than they were. Before she could continue though her words were interrupted as Ginoza swore covering his face with one hand as he curled inward on himself, leaning forward in his chair.

“I’m just as bad… as guilty as any of them…” whispered Ginoza in a faintly wavering voice. 

Kiyoshiko slid out of her chair, moving to kneel in front of Ginoza as she took hold of Ginoza’s wrist just above the hand that was holding onto hers. “That’s not true.” 

“It is.” insisted Ginoza flinching at Kiyoshiko’s touch, pulling backward slightly before his grip tightened again. “I was a part of it. I believed totally in the System, that it was correct in its judgements. And I placed everything-…, nearly every single one of my actions was based on that belief. …Even how I treated people and responded to the situations around me. And if I doubted for a moment, I would respond by being more forceful in reacting in a way that I thought aligned with the System’s standards.” Ginoza bit his lip trailing off briefly, his shoulders slumping as he lowered his hand from his face, letting it fall to his lap before he continued. “…I was… unwarrantedly harsh… in my treatment of so many, and now to find out the truth of the system. …I should have done things differently. If I tried I could have figured it out, …have done something to put a stop to it sooner.”

“Then…” Kiyoshiko paused frowning as she chose her words with care. “…Do you think Akane-chan should be held responsible too, for not doing something to put a stop to the Sybil System earlier? …She knew more about it and before you did, but still waited to act.”

“No…” murmured Ginoza shaking his head slightly. “No, of course not…” Letting out a weary sigh Ginoza closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead heavily against Kiyoshiko’s, exhausted tears slipping free to trail down his cheeks before dripping onto hers. 

Reaching up Kiyoshiko cradled Ginoza’s face in both hands as she kissed away the salty traces of the dark haired enforcer’s tears before running her fingers through his bangs to straighten them. Finally Kiyoshiko took Ginoza’s hands in each of hers, squeezing gently to get his attention as she spoke. “I want you to look at me Nobuchika. …You had no way of knowing what the Sybil System really was, none of us did. You only did what you thought was right at the time. Even if you had questioned it more than you did,… what do you think would have happened? Could you have done anything about it?”

Ginoza looked away, shaking his head as he opened his mouth to respond. “I don’t know. Maybe if I had, we could have at least stopped Makishima sooner, then Dad and Kagari might still-…” 

Kiyoshiko’s fingers coming to rest lightly against his lips cut off the rest of Ginoza’s words. “You don’t know that. I do know though that they, your dad and Kagari-san-,… at the very least Pops… would have wanted you to protect yourself. Didn’t you tell me once that he’d even more or less told you that then?”

“Yes.” murmured Ginoza quietly swallowing hard as he closed his eyes for a moment. 

“The Sybil System was too much for any of us to take on alone. There wasn’t anything that you, or Akane-chan or any of us could have done on your own back then that would have made a difference. Who knows what might have happened to you if you had tried to defy it… And even now, there’s not really any way of knowing in most cases just which of Sybil’s judgements might have been in error, or anything we could do about it besides what we already are working on doing.” Kiyoshiko let out a breath, shaking her head as she relaxed back onto her heels, her hands slipping from Ginoza’s to rest on his knees instead as she sat with her face turned up toward him. “That’s why we have to do everything we can to make sure that the best choice possible is made when justice is carried out, and that the people the Sybil System marked as latent criminals are given a second chance. All we can do now is to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again, to make up for the past.”

Ginoza’s eyes moved back and forth, studying Kiyoshiko’s face intently before he let out a shaky breath “…I suppose…” he murmured quietly as he finally nodded. 

“Try not to blame yourself too much for things that you can’t change now.” said Kiyoshiko offering Ginoza a slight smile as she reached up to brush her fingers along his cheek. “…And I know it doesn’t change what’s already happened… but you should know that none of this makes any difference in how I feel about you. I still love you, no matter what.”

Ginoza leaned into Kiyoshiko’s touch, closing his eyes as he bit his lip, allowing several minutes of silence to pass before opening his mouth to speak. But before he could begin a knock at the door interrupted whatever Ginoza had been about to say. 

Both Ginoza and Kiyoshiko’s attention shifted toward the door as they froze falling briefly silent before Kiyoshiko half turned and called out, instructing the person who had knocked to wait, then turned back as Ginoza spoke. 

“…I should probably get back to work. …I think I’d said something to Kogami and Tsunemori about going back to the squad room, but that was quite a while ago.” 

“Are you sure you’re okay with doing that?” asked Kiyoshiko frowning a bit as she seemed to study Ginoza. “…I can ask whoever it is to come back later. If you want to have a little more time…”

Ginoza nodded slightly. “Yes, I’m sure.” 

“…Okay… If you say so.” murmured Kiyoshiko bracing a hand on Ginoza’s knee as she pushed herself to her feet. “I really will tell whoever that is to leave though, if you want.” said Kiyoshiko trailing her fingers across Ginoza’s cheek before starting to step away to go and answer the door.

A soft breath that was almost a laugh slipped from Ginoza’s lips as he reached up to catch Kiyoshiko’s hand. “…Thank you…” murmured Ginoza as he brought her hand to his lips, gently kissing the back of it before letting go, to allow her to cross the room to the door.

Smiling over her shoulder at Ginoza for a moment in response Kiyoshiko hesitated upon reaching the door, allowing Ginoza a few more moments to compose himself, during which he ran the backs of his hands under his eyes to clear any last traces of his earlier tears before sitting back in his chair with a quiet murmur to Kiyoshiko. 

The door opened to reveal Kogami on the other side of it, his eyes panned over the room for a moment before settling on Ginoza. “There you are, Gino. ...You weren’t in the squad room when I got back.” stated Kogami, a subtle frown crossing his face as he studied Ginoza. “…Are you okay?”

Closing his eyes Ginoza let out a quiet shaky breath, his hands tightening on the arms of his chair as he pushed himself out of it. He stepped across the room toward the door before coming to a stop in the doorway, looking over at Kogami.  
“…I will be.” replied Ginoza nodding as he met Kogami’s eyes, holding the other man’s gaze briefly. Glancing away again Ginoza’s posture straightened as he squared his shoulders before continuing forward, with Kogami falling into step beside him.


	8. Obligation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthday celebrations are typically a happy time, but when the timing coincides with a painful incident in the past, not everyone is able to enjoy them. For Shinya Kogami the middle of January is just such a time. However not every celebration is an obligation, and sometimes it's an opportunity to move forward. 
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> **This story takes place on January 14, 2118**

Kogami lay stretched out on the couch in his quarters with a book in hand. His eyes had just passed over the page in front of him for a third time, yet he still felt as if the words on it made no sense. Snapping the book closed he set it aside on the nearby coffee table, closing his eyes as he tilted his head back against the arm of the couch. Running a hand roughly through his already spiky hair before tucking his arm behind his head Kogami tried to push away the unsettled feeling that had been disturbing his attempt to read and relax while waiting for Akane to arrive and pick him up for the party Ginoza had planned to celebrate Kiyoshiko’s birthday at one of the nicer restaurants in town that evening.  
If he were to be honest the idea ranked even lower than usual on Kogami's list of ways to spend an evening. However Akane's tone when she had informed Kogami that she was coming to get him had left little room for protest.  
The sound of his door chiming caused Kogami to reopen his eyes, sitting up as he called for the door to open, admitting Akane. 

“Shinya? …Aren’t you ready yet?” asked Akane as she stepped inside, coming to a stop at the end of the couch. “We’re going to be late already,… and Ginoza-san is expecting us to come.”

“I am. …Give me a minute.” said Kogami huffing softly as he stood, plucking his suit coat up from where it had been tossed over the back of the couch, putting it on before stepping past Akane to the door where he took his coat off the rack. “Come on Inspector.” He added after a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Akane grumbled at Kogami’s words, her cheeks pinking as they puffed out. “Don’t call me that.” she complained faintly before smiling, shaking her head as she started down the hallway.

A faint feeling of amusement caused Kogami’s lips to twitch briefly, before vanishing back into the pervasive disquiet filling him as he trailed after her. 

 

Once at the restaurant Kogami, Akane, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko settled in together at one of the tables the menu displays appearing in front of them as they sat down. 

As the others began scanning through the menu Kiyoshiko reached out toward the display, causing the hologram to pixelate around her fingers as they passed through it.  
Lowering her hand Kiyoshiko sighed as she tapped a finger on the table for a moment before deactivating the display. “…Any suggestions on what I should have?”

“I’ve heard the udon here is good.” replied Akane as she looked over the offerings listed on her menu.

“…Maybe I’ll have that then.” said Kiyoshiko nodding in response to Akane at the same time that Kogami made an inquiring sound in his throat, leaning over to look at Akane’s menu. 

Ginoza looked up from his menu at the sound, pointing a finger at Kogami. “Kogami, no. Don’t even think about getting the udon. …You should pick something else.”

Akane and Kiyoshiko both turned to Ginoza with confused expressions as Kogami’s gaze flicked sharply toward the raven haired man, his eyes narrowing. “…Fine.” muttered Kogami after a moment punching in a different selection instead before deactivating the display in front of him and sitting back in his chair.  
After the others had made their selections as well they settled back to wait for their orders to arrive. A faint hint of tension hung over the table, centered on Kogami who grew increasingly restless as Akane, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko talked amongst themselves, responding to attempts to draw him in with distracted, monosyllabic answers. 

Finally after time had passed and their meals had yet to arrive, Kogami pushed back from the table, pulling his coat off the back of his chair as he stood. “I’m going for a smoke break.” He muttered, shrugging into his coat before heading toward one of the doors that led out to the balcony on the outside of the restaurant, without waiting for a response.  
Ginoza and Akane shifted in their chairs to watch for a moment as Kogami left, a slight frown drew Ginoza’s brows together while Akane’s eyes reflected a bit of uncertainty, before both of them turned back once more. The conversation among the three that still remained at the table stalled briefly at the interruption, but eventually resumed as Ginoza, Kiyoshiko and Akane ate their meals once the service drones delivered them.  
Sometime later the trio had relaxed into a comfortable mix of chatting and nibbling at the remains of their meals as the evening progressed.

“Thank you for this Nobuchika.” said Kiyoshiko during a lull in the conversation, turning toward Ginoza with a smile, before shifting her focus to include Akane as well. “And thank you too Akane-chan.” 

“You’re welcome.” replied Akane smiling as she nodded. “Happy Birthday Kiyoshiko-chan.

“I should probably go and make the rounds now, and talk with the rest of my guests for a while.” continued Kiyoshiko resting a hand on Ginoza’s arm as she stood. “…And I want to thank everyone for coming too.”  
Kiyoshiko made her way around the room to the tables where various enforcers and one or two newer inspectors were clustered in smaller groups, chatting at least briefly with each of them. And in some cases where the handful of enforcers she was most familiar with were gathered, sitting and talking for a while. 

Kiyoshiko was sitting at a table where Hinakawa, Naomi, and a few enforcers from Division Three were. They had been talking for a little while when the conversation was interrupted as Shion spotted Kiyoshiko, calling out a ‘Happy Birthday’ as she made her way over to where Kiyoshiko was. 

“Hey everyone, sorry but I’m going to steal the birthday girl from you now.” said Shion chuckling a bit as she smiled broadly at the enforcers seated at the table. She reached down to take Kiyoshiko’s arm helping the other woman to her feet. “We’ve got some pre-wedding planning and baby talk to do.” added the blonde analyst as she started to lead Kiyoshiko toward the table where she and Yayoi had been sitting. 

“Shion-san…” laughed Kiyoshiko, shaking her head at the blonde woman’s antics as she was led away. She half turned to look back over her shoulder toward the occupants of the table she was leaving, lifting a hand. “I’m sorry everyone. Thank you for coming.”

“…So I’ve gotten most of what I need from Akane-chan already, but I still need to get some details from you…” began Shion as they settled at the table.

 

Over an hour had passed by the time Kiyoshiko managed to free herself from the impromptu planning session, though Shion had ended up doing far more of the talking than either Kiyoshiko herself or Yayoi had done. After making a short visit to the restroom Kiyoshiko was intending to return to her table and rejoin Akane, Ginoza and Kogami, when she came to a stop frowning slightly as a familiar scent caught her nose when she passed near the balcony doors. One of which had been left open slightly, just enough that the scent of cigarette smoke was able to waft inside. 

Kiyoshiko hesitated a moment then reached out to push the door open further, stepping out on to the balcony. “Kogami-san? …Are you still out here?” she asked, turning her head back and forth as if scanning the balcony as she moved forward, one hand stretched out slightly in front of her to avoid running into anyone or anything. 

Kogami hummed in response, half turning to look over his shoulder as Kiyoshiko approached following the scent of his Spinels. As she came to a stop a few steps away from the edge of the balcony near him Kogami shifted, moving to stand on the other side of her, placing himself and the smoke from his cigarette downwind from Kiyoshiko. He watched the raven haired woman out of the corner of his eyes as she seemed to study him silently for several minutes, her brow furrowed in thought. After a time Kogami turned away, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the low wall that surrounded the balcony, feeling the pressure of Kiyoshiko’s attention lingering on him for a few moments longer before she stepped forward to rest her hands on the wall, turning to face outward over the cityscape in front of them.

The spikey-haired former enforcer sighed, finally glancing back over at Kiyoshiko, just in time to see her shiver rubbing her arms as a chill January wind swept over the balcony. “You should go back inside. It’s too cold out here.” stated Kogami his tone flat. 

“I’m fine.” replied Kiyoshiko shaking her head as she folded her arms across her chest.

Huffing softly, Kogami tucked his cigarette in the corner of his mouth to free his hands so he could shrug out of his coat, before moving to stand behind Kiyoshiko as he draped it over her shoulders. “…Gino will kill me if you get sick because you were standing out here without a coat.” explained Kogami shortly before returning to his former position leaning against the ledge of the balcony wall as Kiyoshiko murmured a quiet thanks. Wordlessly Kogami nodded as both of them fell silent once more.

“…You’ve seemed,… off… all night Kogami-san.” said Kiyoshiko, after they had stood in silence for a while, her tone sounding as if she were continuing a conversation. “Is there something wrong?”

Kogami frowned a bit as he looked over at Kiyoshiko, studying her in silence for several minutes before answering. “…How much has Gino told you about our old cases?...”

“Very little.” replied Kiyoshiko shaking her head as she tugged on the edges of Kogami’s coat, pulling them together. “…Before it wouldn’t have been a good idea, for multiple reasons. And now even though I have clearance, he doesn’t really talk in much detail about those sorts of things.” Kiyoshiko tilted her head, wearing a hint of a frown. “…Why?”

“Ah…” murmured Kogami as he turned away again, flicking a bit of ash from his cigarette over the edge of the balcony, seeming to be deep in thought. After a pause Kogami looked down his eyes distant as he began. “…About eight years ago back when Gino and I were both inspectors in Division One, there was a case, that ended up going wrong. …We called it the Specimen Case…”  
As Kiyoshiko listened Kogami laid out the basics of what had occurred during the Specimen Case, while still leaving out the more gruesome aspects of the murders. Eventually he reached the point where Sasayama had been following up on a lead independently, and had gone missing. 

“I should have gone with him.” growled Kogami glaring into the gloom as he breathed out a cloud of smoke. “…Made sure that he had someone there to watch his back. But I didn’t get there fast enough before he’d taken off, even though I told him to wait for backup…” 

Kiyoshiko cleared her throat a bit, in an attempt to draw Kogami back out of the reverie he’d gotten caught up in causing him to trail off into silence, and to remind him that she was still there. “…What happened?”

“We were checking out the scene where the third victim had been found again at the time. …So I’d left Gino and the others at the scene to go after Sasayama. We lost the comm channel before I caught up with him though. But Shion could still see that he was alive from monitoring his wrist link, and a while later he’d accessed the MWPSB’s systems,… other than that it was like he’d vanished into thin air.” Kogami paused, his lips pressing into a tight line around his cigarette as his knuckles whitened from the force of his grip on the balcony railing.  
“Of course we tried to find him. Division One spent the next couple days searching the area around his last known location, but there was no trace of him, or sign of what had happened to him. …I think there probably at least a few people in the PSB who thought he’d just decided to run. …I knew that couldn’t have been true. Sasayama was hard to contain once he’d gotten angry or set on something, but running away like that wasn’t his style.” Kogami shook his head as he inhaled deeply from his cigarette before continuing. “Anyway things went on like that for a couple days, …then by the time we-… I found him it was too late. He’d been murdered and hidden under a hologram. …Just like the others.” 

“…I’m sorry…” murmured Kiyoshiko, her tone subdued.

Kogami grunted in reply brushing aside Kiyoshiko’s apology, one shoulder moving in a shrug as he paused for a few minutes before continuing. “Everything is either a little vague or horribly clear from there. At first after the initial shock faded some, I’d tried to start looking for clues,… any trace or sign of who the culprit was. …But I couldn’t see anything… nothing but the image of Sasayama’s body branded into my mind. Even when I wasn’t looking at it. When I had my back to him it was like I could still feel him watching me. I couldn’t focus on anything else… finally I gave up trying. And just sat there, staring back…”  
As he spoke Kogami ground out the remains of his cigarette underfoot, turning his attention to digging in his pockets for the box of Spinels briefly. “I guess that at some point I’d stopped responding to Gino over the comms,… because that’s where they’d eventually found me sometime later.”

“…I don’t really know what happened after that.” continued Kogami lighting another cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke from it. “…Afterwards Pops said Gino was a wreck that night though… They had to knock me out. And afterwards, didn’t make things any better…” Kogami sighed closing his eyes for a moment, then reopened them to look over at Kiyoshiko as she shifted beside him, sensing that she had something to say.

“When-… when was this?” asked Kiyoshiko, an air of tension had stiffened her posture, as she seemed to be waiting for Kogami’s answer with an unusual intensity. “…And where, exactly?...”

Kogami looked over at Kiyoshiko, truly focusing his attention on her for the first time in a while as he frowned curiously at her reaction. “Why do you want to know? Is there some reason it matters?”

“…I don’t mean to be insensitive but… Please…?” said Kiyoshiko shaking her head slightly, a hint of a frown on her face. 

“…Fine…” muttered Kogami sighing softly as he shifted, turning to lean back against the low wall surrounding the balcony instead, resting his elbows behind him on the edge of it. “In Shinjuku. It was January 15th.”

Kiyoshiko let out a quiet, surprised sounding breath. “…I think I might have been there that day. …Not during… but afterwards at the scene…” 

“Really?...” asked Kogami straightening away from the wall as he turned his full attention back to Kiyoshiko who nodded. 

“I can’t be certain, since I didn’t see anything of course. …But there had been some sort of incident on the way to the area where the restaurant my grandparents and I were going to was.” said Kiyoshiko, biting her lower lip for a moment before adding. “My grandfather had thought that it had something to do with some murders that he’d heard rumors about, at the time.”

“Huh. …Now that’s an unusual coincidence.” retorted Kogami, raising an eyebrow in a hint of interest.

“…I think-… that there were probably at least three people present. …One of them was shouting at the others. …A younger man’s voice,… I suppose it could have been Nobuchika, maybe.” Kiyoshiko’s brows drew together as she thought, the curled index finger of one loosely fisted hand resting against her lips. “…He was furious.” 

A rueful smile crossed Kogami’s face as he took another drag from his cigarette, holding the smoke in for a moment before breathing it out as he muttered. “…Yeah, that sounds like Gino.”

“…There was more than that though,… and not entirely directed at you. …I think the situation as a whole was a part of it…” said Kiyoshiko her fingers reaching out, lightly brushing the shoulder of Kogami’s suit coat before she paused, withdrawing her hand slightly as she let out a breath in a nearly soundless sigh. “…I don’t know if the two of you have talked about it properly… but you should know that Nobuchika doesn’t hold what happened back then against you any longer. You’ve always been his best friend, and the one he was closest to. I could tell that hadn’t ever really changed, the first time he told me about you. …And definitely not anymore, knowing what we do now about the Sybil System.” 

“Yeah,… a lot of good knowing that about the System now does though. Too bad we couldn’t have figured that out before when it would actually have done some good catching them before they’d had a chance to do all they did.” muttered Kogami glaring at a point off in the distance for several minutes, before sighing slightly and shaking his head as he crushed out his cigarette on the balcony railing. “…Sorry. …I’m never very good company at things like this. But especially not around this time of year...”

Kiyoshiko lowered her hand, a touch of reticence in her body language. She glanced away for a moment before speaking, seeming almost hesitant. “…You know,… something like this, it isn’t an obligation. Kogami-san, …If you don’t feel like celebrating at a time like this. It’s okay.”

Kogami drew a sharp, barely audible breath. Tilting his head he looked over at Kiyoshiko studying her with a hint of an uncertain frown, as he waited to see if Kiyoshiko was going to continue. When she didn’t after a few moments Kogami shook his head his frown fading into impassivity as he turned to go back inside, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure Kiyoshiko was following. “You don’t have to be so formal, …given everything. Gino just calls me Ko.”

“I know...” said Kiyoshiko nodding. She turned toward Kogami as she came to a stop beside him where he had paused just before the threshold of the doorway. She seemed to think for a few moments before a small smile came to her lips. “…Perhaps,… Ko-kun then?” asked Kiyoshiko, raising an eyebrow.

Kogami snorted lightly in response his lips curling in minute amusement as he turned his gaze toward the view through the open doorway in front of them.

In the restaurant beyond Kogami could see Ginoza and Akane still sitting at the table talking over the mostly empty plates and half full drinks covering its surface. He watched as Akane said something to Ginoza, before covering a grin with one hand. Whatever she had said drew a burst of laughter from Ginoza who smiled back as he replied. Kogami looked back over at Kiyoshiko just in time to see an echoing smile appear on Kiyoshiko’s face in response to the distant sound of Ginoza’s laughter. Kogami paused, finding himself briefly captivated by the depth of fondness in the expression she directed toward where Ginoza was sitting, before following the direction of her sightless gaze back to Ginoza and Akane once again. 

“…You’ll look after him?” murmured Kogami, the words phrased somewhere between a statement and a request.

“Of course.” Kiyoshiko nodded, her attention still fixed on where Ginoza was even as she answered Kogami. “…We’ll look after each other.”

_…Looking after each other, …not just one trying to look out for the other all the time and refusing to listen to any concerns over yourself… I guess that’s probably the way it should have been all along..._ thought Kogami, making a soft noise as he motioned toward the door with his head. “We should go inside,… before too much longer they’re going to come looking for us.”

“I’m a little surprised it hasn’t happened already.” replied Kiyoshiko nodding in agreement as she slipped Kogami’s coat off her shoulders, handing it back to him as she stepped inside. 

Kogami scoffed quietly, draping the coat over his arm as he followed Kiyoshiko back toward the table where Akane and Ginoza were sitting. 

“Where have you been?” asked Ginoza immediately turning his attention from his conversation with Akane, to look over at Kiyoshiko as she sat down beside him. He looked over at Kogami as the other man seated himself next to Akane, his eyes narrowed fractionally as he looked back and forth between Kogami and Kiyoshiko, a hint of an uncertain frown drawing his brows together. 

“…Were the two of you together all this time?” asked Akane half turning to look over at Kogami.

“Only part of it.” answered Kogami shrugging as he settled into his chair.

Kiyoshiko nodded in agreement with Kogami. “Yes, only for the time after Shion-san finished with me. …Kogami and I were just talking a bit.”

Ginoza looked over toward where Kogami was sitting next to Akane, his eyes narrowed fractionally as he looked back and forth between the other man and Kiyoshiko, a hint of an uncertain frown drawing his brows together. “Just what were the two of you talking about?” 

Kiyoshiko ran a finger along the rim of her glass before wrapping her fingers around it. “I was thinking, that maybe in the future… instead of having a celebration on my birthday… It would be better to at least hold off doing it at exactly this time of year. …At least if it’s something where all of us would be involved…”

Akane and Ginoza both looked toward Kiyoshiko with surprised murmurs. Kogami looked up from his now cold food eyeing Kiyoshiko briefly before glancing down, his lips thinning as he pressed them together. After a moment Akane’s gaze shifted to Kogami, a silent ‘Oh’ forming on her lips as her surprised expression faded to one of understanding.

“Is that really what you want to do?” asked Ginoza frowning uncertainly as he looked over at Kiyoshiko, his fingers reaching out to settle on her wrist lightly.

Kiyoshiko nodded, opening her mouth to speak when she was interrupted by Kogami. 

“…Wait.” Kogami said letting out a breath and closing his eyes briefly as the eyes of the others turned toward him.

“You know what… maybe it’s time.” began Kogami again as he reached out to grip his glass, his eyes unfocused as if fixed on something unseen in the distance. “To let it be over and finally let him rest in peace now.” 

Kiyoshiko tilted her head to one side minutely as she turned toward Kogami. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Kogami nodded, then huffed lightly as he shook his head, the smallest hint of a smile touching his lips. “…Besides,… he always enjoyed a good party.”

“Well then.” Kiyoshiko directed a slight smile toward Kogami then lifted her glass, holding it toward the middle of the table. “…Here’s to Sasayama-san.”

Ginoza shot a surprised look over at Kiyoshiko, his brows knitting, before looking over at Kogami. He eyed the other man intently before his features softened fractionally in response to something he saw in Kogami’s expression.  
Picking up his glass Ginoza held it out to join Kiyoshiko’s. “…To those we’ve lost and what’s been left behind us along the way.”

“…To all the people who are still here…” contributed Akane letting one hand fall from her glass as she lowered it from her lips without drinking before thrusting it outward to the center of the table.

Kogami hesitated a moment then extended his glass to meet the glasses of other three. “…To us, and whatever’s ahead of us.” He finished as their glasses clinked softly against each other, accompanied by soft murmurs from the others. 

After taking a drink Kogami lowered his glass to the table’s surface, closing his eyes and letting out a breath before lifting his eyes from the table. Reopening them Kogami’s eyes widened as he found his vision strangely drawn to the sight of a tall man with short brown hair, wearing a slightly rumpled black suit, standing in the doorframe that separated the room they were in from the wide, dimly lit hall that led to the restaurant’s foyer. A slender curl of smoke from an unseen cigarette rose into view above the brown haired man’s head, hovering for a moment before thinning enough to vanish. As Kogami watched the man lifted a hand above his shoulder in a casual wave without turning around, then lowered it and stepped forward, disappearing into the darkness of the hallway. Biting back the urge to call out, Kogami tensed half-rising from his chair uncertainly.

A hand on his arm drew Kogami’s attention back to the present, and he looked over to see Akane frowning slightly as she followed his gaze toward the empty doorway for a moment before returning her attention to Kogami. “…Shinya?” asked Akane softly as she studied Kogami’s face, trying to determine what was wrong.

Kogami glanced back toward the hallway for a moment hesitating, then refocused on Akane putting a hand atop her’s where it rested on his arm. 

“Everything’s fine.” He replied squeezing her hand slightly. As Akane’s smile bloomed at his words Kogami’s shoulders relaxed, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from them, a genuine smile curling the edges of his lips in response.


	9. Predictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyoshiko and Ginoza's lives have become increasingly intertwined as time passes. Akane and Kogami have also grown closer as well since Kogami's return to Japan.  
> Now on the day before the four of them cement their relationships with their significant others Akane and Kiyoshiko discuss some of the doubts that linger due to past events, while Ginoza and Kogami take the time to set their past differences aside for good, and all four reflect on the people and things that have brought them to this point in their lives.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place in late February 2118.**

Akane Tsunemori studied her reflection in the mirror smoothing the skirt of the white dress she had just finished putting on before sighing softly, a slight frown settling over her features as she chewed her lower lip absently.

“…Akane-chan, will you help me here?” asked a voice from beside Akane pulling her from her thoughts. 

Akane looked over to where Kiyoshiko was straining to pull up the zipper on the back of her dress fully, an action made a little more awkward than usual by the way the dress shifted over the slight roundness of her stomach.  
“Sure.” said Akane laughing softly as she stepped toward Kiyoshiko. “…Just hold still, it’ll only take a minute.” She added as she smoothed the delicate fabric of the dress’ skirt away from the zipper before drawing it up. The brunette inspector nodded wordlessly in response to Kiyoshiko’s murmured thanks, her fingers continuing to linger at the top of the dress until the other woman shifted pulling free from Akane’s hands. 

“What is it Akane-chan? …You seem like you’re deep in thought about something.” commented Kiyoshiko turning slightly as if looking over her shoulder at Akane.

Akane looked over at the other woman’s reflection in the mirror, hesitating before taking a breath and raising her chin slightly as she finally answered. “…Do you wonder if you’re doing the right thing? I mean all of this seemed like it happened so fast between you and Ginoza-san. When you think about it really, the two of you haven’t even spent that much time around each other face to face. At least not until these last few months...” 

Kiyoshiko shook her head, turning fully to face Akane. “No, I don’t wonder about something like that. Even if we haven’t spent much time face to face, we’ve taken plenty of time getting to know each other all the same. In spite of the challenges involved in that, before getting to this point, but… you know that. …Just what brought this on Akane-chan?” Pausing Kiyoshiko let out a breath, her brows drawing together minutely. “Is it really me and Nobuchika that this is about?” 

A light blush colored Akane’s cheeks “…No, I guess not really. …But how can you be so sure about all of this?”

Kiyoshiko smiled slightly as her fingers grazed her stomach. “Well, this did speed up things a little. But even so it doesn’t really have that much to do with Nobuchika and I getting married. …We were headed this direction eventually either way. …Though I imagine it’s probably a bit easier for us, and our age probably plays a part too. …We’re not as young anymore, so we’re more settled in both ourselves and in what we want and can decide something like this more readily.”

“I see…” murmured Akane nodding. “That makes sense.” 

“What about you Akane-chan?” asked Kiyoshiko tilting her head a bit as she raised an eyebrow, her attention focused on Akane. 

“I think so…but-…” began Akane nodding uncertainly, then she hesitated closing her eyes for few moments. “It sounds terrible, especially saying it out loud …but sometimes I can’t help remembering what’s happened before. When Shinya has suddenly left, even after he’s said or acted like he wasn’t going to…”  
As Akane trailed off a light touch on her shoulder caused Akane to reopen her eyes and she looked up at Kiyoshiko.

Kiyoshiko smiled sympathetically at Akane before she began speaking. “I don’t think that will happen again. …Even Nobuchika trusts that Kogami is going to stay now. He would have protested a lot more than he has about things, if he were actually worried.” Kiyoshiko paused, laughing slightly as she looked over at Akane. “I’m sure you’ve probably noticed,… but he’s very protective of you Akane-chan. Even when Ko-kun is concerned.”

Akane drew back, half turning to study Kiyoshiko for a few moments. “…Does… that bother you?”

“No.” said Kiyoshiko shaking her head, offering Akane a gentle smile. “I realize that it’s part of Nobuchika’s nature to try to protect the people that are important to him. Especially the ones he’s closest to. …And I trust him.” 

Akane hummed, nodding in agreement as she returned Kiyoshiko’s smile momentarily. 

“But I think I understand why you feel that way, even though I’m sure I don’t know all of the details about what happened, I know enough for it to make sense.” Kiyoshiko stepped back, moving to sit on one of the benches that lined either side of the dressing room mirror, motioning for Akane to join her. 

“…I’m not sure what I should do.” murmured Akane as she sat down next to Kiyoshiko, shifting to sit sideways on the bench in order to face the other woman.

“You should do what you think is best for you Akane-chan. All of us will understand and accept your decision, even Kogami-kun. Whatever you decide.” Kiyoshiko paused, reaching out to take Akane’s hands before she continued. “I do have a question for you though. …Are your worries enough that they’ve made not want to marry Kogami-kun?”

“I want to,… but I worry if I’m rushing in or making a mistake sometimes...” Akane bit her lip then sighed looking down briefly as she continued. “…It wouldn’t take that much for people to be convinced that I am since … well, you know why. It was difficult enough this time...”

Kiyoshiko’s lips pressed into a thin line before she let out a breath, nodding. “…But I know you don’t see things that way when it comes to Kogami-kun or any of the others.” Lifting her chin fractionally she focused in on Akane, seeming to study her. “…And you love him, right?”

“Yes…” murmured Akane nodding as she closed her eyes, taking a breath. “It’s not sensible, but I’ve always been waiting for him until we were able to meet again.”

“Then, maybe that’s your answer.” Kiyoshiko smiled as she squeezed Akane’s hands, causing the younger woman to look back up at her. “…He’s here now. …and it seems like he’s been waiting for you too, given that Kogami-kun did ask you to marry him.”

A light blush sprang to Akane’s cheeks as she looked away with a sudden feeling of self-consciousness, catching sight of herself in the mirror once more. Glancing down at the ring on her finger Akane felt warmth filling her and Akane’s eyes softened, a gentle smile curving her lips as she brought her loosely curled hand to her chest. Looking back up at Kiyoshiko she nodded, pulling the other woman into an embrace. “Thank you.” 

Kiyoshiko laughed as she put her arms around Akane as well. “Anytime, Akane.” she replied, drawing a laugh from Akane as well. 

Just then there was a knock on the door before it sprang open to admit Shion, followed by Kaori Minase and Yayoi.  
“Are the two of you ready yet?” asked Shion as she stepped through the door. “We want to see how you look first, but then you’ll need to change again so we can get to the club Yayoi suggested before it gets much later.” She paused, taking in the sight of Akane and Kiyoshiko hugging in the instant before they let go and looked over at Shion. “What’s going on in here? …Is there something that we missed out on?” added Shion with a curious smile as Akane and Kiyoshiko stood. 

Before either of the women could reply Akane was all but tackled into a hug by Kaori, as she exclaimed over how Akane looked in her dress. While the two younger women squealed and chattered excitedly amongst themselves, Kiyoshiko shook her head slightly in response to Shion’s question. “…No, not really.” murmured Kiyoshiko with a soft smile chuckling a bit at the sudden enthusiasm brought to the room by Kaori. 

“Hmm…” hummed Shion sounding a bit skeptical as she tilted her head for a moment before reaching out to take Kiyoshiko’s hand pulling her to stand in front of the mirror. “If you say so. …Now then, turn around and let me get a good look at you so I can decide what I want to do with your hair tomorrow…”

**~~~~~~**

Though enough of Ginoza’s request for a change in confinement status had passed through the system that he was being allowed to take up residence in Kiyoshiko’s house the following day Hinakawa and Kogami, in particular, on the other hand were still required to remain confined within the MWPSB’s headquarters or under the direct supervision of an inspector. Akane however had pulled some strings to permit all three men limited freedom of movement for the night.  
Based on Kogami’s suggestion for ideas of what to do, their night had begun with a halfhearted bar crawl that lasted for only two locations before they’d returned to Kiyoshiko’s house, which they were using as their base of operations for the night, settling into playing poker for several hours instead.

After leaving Hinakawa asleep on the couch with Dime curled up on the floor nearby, Ginoza and Kogami found themselves at Masaoka’s grave, by some unspoken agreement. Kogami lined up a trio of glasses that they had brought with them at the base of the headstone amid the scattered offerings, while Ginoza opened a bottle of whiskey pouring some in each of the glasses. 

Kogami lifted the glass that was closest to him once Ginoza finished filling all three of them, extending it across the space between he and Ginoza. “…Here’s to Pops.”

Ginoza nodded as he picked up his glass, clinking it lightly against Kogami’s as he murmured in agreement. “…To Dad.”

After they drank, both men fell silent, lost in their thoughts for a time before a slight smile came to Kogami’s face. "Hey, do you remember the time Sasayama took us to that club? What was it called,... Pin-para?" asked Kogami breathing a laugh as he looked over at Ginoza out of the corner of his eye.

Ginoza grimaced, glancing sideways at Kogami. "Ugh, don't remind me. Thankfully I recall very little about that night."

Kogami laughed, lightly elbowing Ginoza’s side. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't."

“As if you were any better.” retorted Ginoza, scowling as he sipped from his glass. 

“Hey, I can remember bits and pieces!” protested Kogami spreading a hand out to one side. “…And of course then there was having to come into work with an enormous hangover the next day. …I think we both remember that part.”

Ginoza hummed nodding in response before falling silent as he absently swirled the alcohol in his glass for a few minutes, taking another drink before letting out his breath in a harsh sigh. "...I am sorry though, for the way I acted after Sasayama was-..."

"Gino, it's okay. …I understand." Kogami looked over at Ginoza, solemnly holding his gaze for a moment, offering the other man a slight nod before shifting the subject.  
Kogami’s expression brightened fractionally though his tone was still somewhat subdued at first. "Hey, …Did you ever think we'd end up like this after everything since then? …And us sitting here, having a drink with Pops. …The Sybil System gone. Both of us about to get married, and to two of the most amazing women…" Kogami trailed off, shaking his head.

“It wasn’t a future I would have envisioned, no.” Ginoza shook his head as he picked up the bottle of whiskey refilling Kogami’s glass slightly, though neither of them had drank very much, as he replied. “…Though Tsunemori at least has become everything you’d seen in her even back then …even more, perhaps. …At least far beyond the pathetically limited view I had of her. She’s become an extraordinarily gifted detective, and an exceptional leader besides.”

Kogami tilted his head back, looking at the sliver of star filled sky and moonlight that could be seen between the edge of the roof and the tops of the grave markers. His eyes were soft and distant as he nodded. “…She’s a remarkable woman.” Kogami said a hint of awe in his tone. 

“…And you better make sure that she knows that.” reminded Ginoza firmly, words which from anyone else likely would have been intended to subtly imply that Kogami was not good enough. Though in this case they were not meant unkindly, especially given that Ginoza had been aware of portions of the struggle Kogami had faced in gaining acceptance from Akane’s family and friends. As shown by the slight smile that was offered a moment later to soften any sting of the comment. 

“Yeah...” murmured Kogami quietly, nodding as he let out a breath. Sipping from his glass Kogami looked over at Ginoza, a crooked smile coming to his lips. “Not that you haven’t done well yourself with Michi-san. …I mean she’s clever and has got more guts than just about anyone I’ve met. And she’s surprisingly perceptive at reading people and more compassionate than most too,… not to mention the way she’s stepped into working at the PSB. …She’s going to end up making a real difference in things there.”

“That’s part of what makes all of this even harder to fathom. Why she would still settle for-… this… now when it’s clear she’s more than capable of handling far more than either working at the museum or what she’s doing at the PSB.” Ginoza ran the hand not holding his glass through his hair, brushing his bangs back from his forehead briefly. Looking down Ginoza sipped at his drink, closing his eyes momentarily before adding. “…Of all people, why would she choose… me?”

Kogami laughed shaking his head as he grinned over at Ginoza. “Well for one thing. It’s obvious that she adores you as much as you do her, Gino.”

Looking back up Ginoza stared searchingly at Kogami for a few moments, then feeling his face beginning to heat Ginoza glanced away before finally nodding with a faintly pleased smile.

After a pause Kogami shifted a bit to stretch his legs out in front of himself briefly, before bringing one leg up to rest an elbow on his knee as he turned to face Ginoza. "It's funny, you marrying Michi-san,... with what Pops always used to say, about you being on a different path. I know it's not really what he was talking about at the time, but the choice of words still ends up interesting, considering." 

Ginoza looked over at Kogami frowning in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

Kogami waved a hand in a placating gesture before picking up the bottle, topping off Ginoza’s glass before replying. “Haven’t you ever paid any attention to what the kanji in her name mean?”

Wordlessly Ginoza shook his head, eyeing Kogami intently.

“I’d noticed it in the hospital, her name was by the door to her room.” explained Kogami, he paused for a moment amusement coming into his eyes as he looked over at Ginoza. “Gino, her name means pure hearted path.”

Ginoza froze for a moment seeming to not even breathe as he held Kogami’s gaze while the information sank in, before finally letting out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. Ginoza’s expression softened, his eyes turning wistful as they moved to Masaoka’s grave. “…I wish he could be here…”

Kogami stretched out a hand across the short distance between them, feeling the irregular bumps and ridges where Ginoza’s mechanical arm connected to his shoulder through his clothing, as he squeezed lightly. “You know he wouldn’t miss it for anything.” 

“I know…” Ginoza nodded in agreement, now wearing a bittersweet expression.

**~~~~~~**

After spending some time at the club, Akane and the others had returned to Akane’s apartment. They had settled in for the rest of the night to watch an old movie, one made over a century ago, that Shion had somehow located by means that went carefully unquestioned. By this time the movie was nearly over, and partially finished snacks lay scattered over the surface of the coffee table in front of Akane’s expansive couch. In a corner of the couch Shion and Yayoi lay curled around each other seeming to have dozed off, Kaori had fallen asleep as well and lay stretched out on her side with her head pillowed in Akane’s lap.

Letting her attention drift from the movie Akane lifted her hand from the couch, holding it up so that it caught the moonlight filtering in through the window, passing through the diamonds in it to scatter the light into spots that danced across the couch as she turned her hand. 

The movie they had been watching told the story of a man and woman who were born with a red cord bound around their wrist, the other end of which was not visible but connected to some distant and, at first, unknown individual. Over the course of the movie the characters experienced near misses at meeting the one they were connected to, and mistaken assumptions about the identity of their fated partner before finally discovering one another at the end of the film.  
Studying the ring Akane’s mind drifted back to the movie and it’s plot, letting her hand fall to rest on the couch as she became lost in thought, Akane sighed quietly.  
_In some ways it’s like Shinya and I, we lost so many years and there were so many times that things didn’t go like I’d hoped they would… I can see why it would take so long to figure out, even with something as obvious to look for as they had in the movie. Though we didn’t even really have anything like that to go on._  
_At least not quite… even though it took all this time for things to get to this point… there was someone who seemed to “point us in this direction” I guess you could say. …I don’t know if he ever said anything to Shinya too but… Masaoka-san had seemed like he had at least some idea about this… from what he’d said that one time._  
Akane finally spoke aloud in a low voice. “…I wonder if-…”

As if her sleep had been disturbed by Akane’s mumbled words Kiyoshiko stirred slightly beside her with a soft murmur, her eyes fluttering open. “…Akane-chan? …Are you still awake?”

Akane turned her head to the side, looking over at where Kiyoshiko was half- sitting next to her. Kiyoshiko was curled partially on her side, with her head cushioned on her arm which was draped across the back of the couch, cradling the slight curve of her stomach with her other hand.  
“…I was just thinking about something that …Masaoka-san said once.” began Akane in a still softer voice so she wouldn’t disturb the others. “…A long time ago, when I had just been assigned to Division One, I had asked him about Shinya. Along with everything else he’d said, Masaoka-san made the comment that “the two of us were strangely connected by fate”.” 

Kiyoshiko hummed quietly, shifting to sit up a bit more, propping her head on her hand. “…Pops said that, huh? …What do you think he meant?”

Akane shook her head, looking down to catch the faint flicker of moonlight off the ring on her hand as she absently carded her fingers through Kaori’s hair. “I don’t know. …That’s what I was wondering about…”

“Well… I guess he may have had a point. …Back then before we knew what we do now, do you think any of us would have imagined everything that’s happened? I think that strange would have seemed pretty accurate at the time.”

“I guess that’s true.” said Akane quietly with a soft huff of breath, her expression becoming wistful. “…I wonder if Masaoka-san really knew about how things would turn out…”

Kiyoshiko shook her head. “I don’t know,… but maybe it’s possible that Pops did know something, somehow. In the stories a lot of times there are people that are able to know which people are connected, and in some versions the string isn’t always connected to just one person or the same way in every instance.” Kiyoshiko paused laughing slightly as she extended a hand over the short distance between them for Akane to take. “…But I do know though, that Shion-san is going to scold us if she has to use extra makeup tomorrow to hide dark circles under our eyes…”

Akane giggled softly as she curled her fingers around Kiyoshiko’s, leaning her head back to rest against the back of the couch. “You’re right,… she probably will…” agreed Akane as she carefully shifted to make herself a bit more comfortable, without disturbing Kaori’s slumber, before closing her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Kiyoshiko's name in kanji, 道 淳心  
> The meaning of Kiyoshiko's name that Kogami mentions is based on what the website I was looking at when I chose her name said the kanji meant. However I'm by no means well versed in reading kanji, so it's based purely on the accuracy of the website.


	10. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five months after the destruction of Sybil, the weddings of Nobuchika Ginoza to Kiyoshiko Michi, and Shinya Kogami to Akane Tsunemori take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to music on youtube one day and Christina Perri's [A Thousand Years](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtOvBOTyX00) when this story suddenly came to mind, pretty much in it's entirety as I listened to the song. And so I chose to thread the song's lyrics throughout the story.  
> Later on I came across an [ instrumental version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgaTQ5-XfMM) by the Piano Guys that I think makes a perfect accompaniment to the story and the scene therein.  
> Of the two songs this second one is the one I would recommend most if you want to listen to the song while reading.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place immediately following the events of the previous chapter.**

_Heart beats fast, colors and promises.  
How to be brave? How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?  
But watching you stand alone, all of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow._

Akane chewed her lip nervously, her grip tightening on the simple bouquet she was carrying, as she watched her best friend Kaori and enforcer Hinakawa make their way down the aisle ahead of her. A twinge of nervousness still fluttered in her stomach in spite of what her conversation with Kiyoshiko the night before had done to help ease her concerns. After so many years of his absence a small part of her still felt as if chasing Kogami would be all she would ever do and he would vanish again if she dared take her eyes off him for long.  
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a breath to calm herself before reopening them, looking over as she felt someone touch her elbow.

“Are you ready?” asked Akane’s father looking down at her with a soft smile, one eyebrow raised slightly as he held out his arm for Akane to take.

Akane hesitated, her gaze moving toward the cleared area in front of the rows of chairs and people to where Kogami stood. She caught her breath as she took in the sight of the tall, handsome man, looking resplendent and for once polished in the suit he was wearing, in spite the fact he had already loosened his tie a bit. He was looking away at the moment, watching as their matron of honor and best man came down the aisle.  
As if feeling Akane’s gaze on him Kogami looked over, meeting her eyes. His smile widened as he took in the sight of her standing at the end of the aisle, waiting to make her way to the front, his eyes beginning to glitter slightly. _‘What are you waiting for, Inspector?’_ asked Kogami’s raised eyebrows. He tilted his head a bit, as if subtly motioning for her to come join him at the front already.

Akane felt a warm sensation fill her chest, undoing the anxious knot in her stomach. In spite of all the disappointments and difficulties that had come between them over the years, she really couldn’t envision a life without Kogami now that Sybil had been destroyed. Even when she would refuse to admit it to herself much less anyone else in the past, at times pushing the thought away in an effort to remain strong for everyone else, Akane had always loved the passionate, brash, and at times wise former enforcer. 

Akane stood a bit straighter, nodding as she reached out to take a firm grip on her father’s arm before starting down the aisle. “I’m ready.”

_One step closer_

**~~~~~~**

_Time stands still, beauty in all she is.  
I will be brave. I will not let anything take away what's standing in front of me.  
Every breath, every hour has come to this._

Ginoza stood on the other side of the open area from Kogami, in front of the assembled guests, only vaguely aware as Akane made her way to the front to be handed over to Kogami by her father. His gaze fell for a moment on the empty chairs on one side of the front row, which were symbolically reserved for his family. Ginoza took a breath to ease the ache that was threatening to form in his chest and lifted his gaze, looking toward the end of the aisle, time seeming to slow as he did so.

He watched as Kiyoshiko made her way down the aisle on her father’s arm toward him his eyes lingering momentarily on the faint curve of her belly that was beginning to become visible, no matter what she was wearing, after five months as the motion of walking drew the skirt of her dress back. Ginoza caught his breath, unable to even think of looking away from the stunning, courageous woman who for reasons he still couldn’t entirely understand had chosen to stay with him of all people. Even at the risk of her life, in spite of all the dangers they had and still continued to face in the wake of Sybil’s downfall. 

Steeling himself as he pushed away the sensation of his old self-doubt, Ginoza squared his shoulders, stepping forward to meet them at the front of the aisle. He took Kiyoshiko’s hand firmly as she was given to him, absently feeling Professor Michi pat his shoulder before withdrawing. Ginoza squeezed Kiyoshiko’s hand gently before guiding her to take hold of his arm as he led her back toward where he had been standing. From now on he would match her bravery, and protect her and their family from harm. 

Coming to a stop Ginoza moved to stand facing Kiyoshiko, taking her hands in each of his, eagerness beginning to replace the nervous sensation as she smiled up at him. Finally after years of slowly drawing closer, a new life together was about to begin.

_One step closer_

**~~~~~~**

_And all along I believed I would find you.  
Time has brought your heart to me.  
I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more._

Kiyoshiko tilted her chin, turning her face up toward Ginoza as they spoke their vows. It had been several years since she had met Ginoza, Akane, and Dime in the park. Though even before then, once she and Nobuchika had begun comparing their pasts, it seemed that life had long been shaping their paths. As if guiding them to find each other across oceans and continents, in spite of hostile government systems and even the span of time, molding them to suit one another.

She held out her hand, feeling Yayoi place a ring in it, which she slid onto Ginoza’s finger detecting a subtle tremor in his hand as she did. She smiled reassuringly, holding his hand in both of hers for a moment to steady it. “…No matter what, …remember?” murmured Kiyoshiko softly. 

A soft sound of a throat clearing followed by an indrawn breath was heard in response as Ginoza nodded. Kiyoshiko felt him take one of her hands, threading the ring Yayoi handed him onto her finger. When the simple gold band was on he lifted her hand to place a kiss on the back of it as he replied in a low, husky voice. “…I love you too.”

Kiyoshiko’s smile widened in response as she took her bouquet of flowers back from Yayoi, turning she moved to stand next to Ginoza to listen to Akane and Kogami’s vows. As she did she felt Ginoza’s arm wrap around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him and put her arm around his waist leaning against his leanly muscled side.

_One step closer_

**~~~~~~**

_I have died every day waiting for you.  
Darlin' don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years.  
I'll love you for a thousand more._

Kogami leaned down to kiss Akane’s forehead before taking her hands in his, squeezing them gently to be sure that all of this was in fact real and not just another of the many dreams he’d had over the years since he had first fled Japan after killing Makishima. Feeling Akane’s grip tighten on his, Kogami released a held breath, the band of years long tension loosening from across his chest at the reassuring sensation.

He cleared his throat, taking the ring Hinakawa handed him, putting it on Akane’s finger and watching as she did the same in return as they exchanged their vows. He paused for a moment at the end of his part, waiting until he was sure that Akane’s attention was on him. “I promise, I will never leave you again Akane.” 

Tears welled up in Akane’s eyes at his words as she nodded, unable to speak for the moment. Kogami gently brushed them away with his thumbs as he cradled her face in his hands, looking down at the brunette woman who he had seen grow from a naïve rookie to a strong, capable leader.  
_An amazing woman._ thought Kogami, not for the first time. As he continued gazing down at her Kogami realized that the wait until they were able to live as ordinary people had perhaps been just as much a slow, progressive feeling of death for her as it had been for him, at times seeming as if that day would never arrive. 

Kogami glanced over as the officiant pronounced them husband and wife, then looked back at Akane his hands moving to rest on her shoulders as he gave her a lingering kiss, before they turned to face the assembled guests. But now, the waiting was over, and they had the rest of their lives to look forward to. Hundreds and thousands of tomorrows to make up for all the time they had spent apart. Kogami felt his smile grow, spreading across his face at the thought.

**~~~~~~**

As the ceremony concluded with the presentation of the brides and grooms, the officiant spoke once more as the applause died down. “Our brides have decided to follow the tradition of tossing their bouquets. In the past this was done during the reception, but as the couples are not having a reception and have limited time, they have decided to have it take place now. So could any unmarried women present please gather here at the front for the bouquet toss?”

“Divisions Three and Four agreed to handle all crises for a couple of hours, but that time is almost up.” explained Akane as the female guests gathered in front of the chairs as instructed. 

Ginoza watched for a moment as Akane guided Kiyoshiko into place, before taking the opportunity while everyone’s attention was elsewhere to wipe away the tears that were still threatening to escape and join the ones he had already shed during the ceremony in making their way down his cheek. 

“Everyone already saw you crying, Gino.” The words were accompanied by the sensation of a heavy hand landing on Ginoza’s shoulder.

Ginoza looked up to see Kogami standing next to him grinning. He rolled his shoulder in a half-hearted attempt to dislodge Kogami’s hand as he looked away slightly, muttering. “Oh shut up Ko.”

Kogami laughed, draping his arm over his friend’s shoulders instead as he exhaled a cloud of smoke from his cigarette. He motioned with the hand holding the cigarette toward where Akane and Kiyoshiko were. “Can you believe it?”

Ginoza followed his gaze, watching as Akane said something to Kiyoshiko who nodded before both women turned, lifting their hands to throw their bouquets back over their shoulders. He shook his head as he folded his arms across his chest. “…No,… it still hasn’t completely sunk in yet…” he replied, a slight smile coming to his lips.

Cheers followed the bouquets being thrown, followed by laughter from the members of Division One as the crowd parted enough to see that Shion and Yayoi had each caught one of the bouquets. 

The sound was interrupted as the wrist links of the Division One members lit up, ringing. Kogami made his way over to Akane’s side as she answered the call, leaning forward slightly over her shoulder while he listened. Kiyoshiko turned back to join Ginoza and after a brief exchange of nods and murmurs she made her way over to where her parents were, promising they would see them later that night, before returning to her husband’s side. 

The crowd parted once more, clearing the center aisle as the wedding party and the other members of the division, hurried down it toward the waiting vehicles.

**~**

Akane paused as the four of them got out of the car in front of MWPSB headquarters, surveying the building with a wistful expression before glancing down at the wedding dress she was still wearing. “…It feels strange for it to be over and everything going back to normal already.” She murmured quietly.

“Hmm…” murmured Kogami as he came up beside Akane, tucking one hand in his pocket as he followed her gaze toward the building. “It’s not over just yet…”

Ginoza nodded in agreement as he and Kiyoshiko joined the pair, their hands linked. “…No, not quite yet…” he said looking over at Kogami. 

The two men held each other’s gaze for a moment then at Kogami’s nod scooped their brides up into their arms taking them toward the doors, intending to carry them over the threshold. Akane threw back her head with a surprised laugh as she clung to Kogami’s neck, looking over at Kiyoshiko who had her arm wrapped loosely around Ginoza’s shoulders as he held her. Akane’s infectious laughter quickly spread to the other three. Ginoza and Kogami shared a fierce grin over their bride’s heads as they picked up their pace toward the building, and whatever was waiting ahead.

It wasn’t over, … in fact it was just the beginning.

**~~~~~~**

_And all along I believed I would find you.  
Time has brought your heart to me.  
I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm beyond ecstatic to finally be able to post/share this story with you. I originally wrote this around the time that I wrote Ships and Lines of Allegiance, so it's been sitting on my computer for over a year waiting until I got the things that came before it in the story line written and posted first. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it, and Merry Christmas everyone!


	11. Description

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginoza and Kiyoshiko begin to settle into married life, and discuss the answer to a question that Ginoza has been wondering about.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place in April 2118**

For the past several days the members of Division One had been working almost non-stop on their current case, at least until their last viable lead had unexpectedly fallen through. Nearly everyone in the Division was exhausted after the all-nighters they had put in, prompting Akane to give their division the night and next day off work, providing that no new leads surfaced in that time. After returning home that evening Ginoza struggled to let himself unwind, having difficulty in even settling on the couch to rest, despite having already set the case files aside before dinner. Sensing his restlessness Kiyoshiko had suggested that the two of them take an evening walk in the park nearby. 

Finally as his mind slowly detached itself from the case, Ginoza felt himself beginning to relax, instead turning his attention to describing the scenery to Kiyoshiko. “You can see the sun setting in a clearing in the trees. The light makes it look like the leaves on the trees closest to it are glowing gold. The sky is striped with shades of dark pink and orange, and it’s a sort of purple fading to darker blue furthest from the horizon.”

“It sounds pretty.” murmured Kiyoshiko, absently rubbing her thumb in an affectionate gesture against Ginoza’s arm where she was gripping it as they walked. 

Ginoza hummed softly in agreement as he nodded looking over at Kiyoshiko, taking in the way that hints of the colors of the setting sun caught in her hair. “…There’s something I’ve been wondering about for a while…” began Ginoza before hesitating briefly. “…When I describe things, … their colors… is that even useful? …Do you remember what colors look like?”

“It’s fine when you do, but to be honest… I don’t really. Even though I can see light and shadow and have some concept of certain colors as being classed as either warm or cool from an artistic standpoint, it’s not the same thing. At least I’m pretty sure that the extremely vague memories I do have don't look the same as the way you see them.” Kiyoshiko shrugged slightly as she spoke, spreading the fingers of one hand away from her side.

“What-…. What exactly do you mean by that? That doesn’t make any sense …unless you’re trying to make some sort of point about perception verses reality or something like that.” Ginoza slowed to a stop frowning in confusion at Kiyoshiko’s statement. _…Why would someone remember a color differently than it is?_

“Oh Nobuchika, …I promise I’m not suddenly trying to get philosophical on you.” Kiyoshiko laughed at the confused tone in Ginoza’s voice for a moment before breaking off to rub the side of her belly with a slight grimace. “Mmm, he’s really active today…” she murmured in response to a concerned sound from Ginoza, before shaking her head and letting out a breath. “…Can we sit down for a minute and I’ll try to explain.”

“All right.” Ginoza led Kiyoshiko to a nearby bench, holding onto her arm he supported her as Kiyoshiko lowered herself onto it. Sitting down beside her Ginoza half turned on the bench so that he was facing Kiyoshiko as he picked up the conversation where they had left off. “…So, what are you saying then?”

“Um,… well…” began Kiyoshiko absently rubbing her belly as she thought for a moment before continuing. “Think back to some of the earliest things you can remember. …and try to think about some of the details, like what people were wearing that day… things like that. …Just how clearly can you remember those details?”

A faint frown crossed Ginoza’s face as he studied Kiyoshiko momentarily before letting his gaze fall his eyes becoming unfocused as he thought. “…I can recall some things clearly,… but other parts are a bit hazy. And I’m not at all certain about some of the details.” said Ginoza looking back up after a few minutes. “Is that what you meant?”

“Essentially.” confirmed Kiyoshiko with a nod. “…Mostly that memory starts to fade over time, and the longer since you’d last seen something the less clear the memory can become. I can sort of remember what colors looked like, that they’re different from one another but,… it’s been a long time.” Kiyoshiko shook her head, breathing out a soft laugh as she turned toward Ginoza with a slight smile. “…Not to mention the effect that input from other people can have on memory, since your mind will sort of fill in things on it’s own if you don’t really remember something that someone else tells you about.” 

“I see…” murmured Ginoza nodding. “So you’re saying that your recall of color may be inaccurate due to your memory of it fading. But how could another person influence the memory?”

“You don’t really do this Nobuchika… but once they’ve realized I’m blind a lot of times people will try to describe colors to me, and not just tell me that something is a certain color.” explained Kiyoshiko shifting a bit to make herself more comfortable on the bench resting one arm across the back of it. “I feel like that might alter my memory a bit without my completely realizing it, when I’m trying to reconcile memory with how I perceive those things now.”

Ginoza nodded vaguely as he pondered the idea, his gaze drifting off into the distance briefly before he refocused on Kiyoshiko. “Is it better when someone does that?”

“A lot of the time it’s a little confusing, especially because they try to associate colors with other things, that I might be able to touch or feel but still don’t really perceive in the context of color.” Kiyoshiko grinned at some memory before returning her attention to Ginoza. “My grandparents did that a lot.”

“What sort of things? ...And how exactly would they do that?” asked Ginoza frowning.

“Well for instance someone might say that brown is like dirt, and the trunks of trees. Or chocolate. …Which the first two make the idea of eating the last one a bit strange if you didn’t already know that it tastes good.” said Kiyoshiko laughing slightly. “They’re not really similar to each other at all from my perspective. …The same thing applies to red when it comes to traffic lights, fruits like cherries and strawberries, coupled with the idea of red indicating heat.”

“I see your point.” agreed Ginoza a faint smile touching his lips for a moment.

“And my grandparents would compare to other things too like… a scent, or the way something feels and makes them feel. …Most of the time I think it probably tells me more about the person doing the describing than it actually does the color. But it makes it interesting to hear the different associations people make. I kind of like hearing their different perspectives.” began Kiyoshiko as she started to get to her feet. Ginoza’s hand quickly rose to grip her elbow offering support while she rose. He stood also, looking over to watch her silently as Kiyoshiko continued. “Anyway,… because of that though, I do have some colors that I would sort of consider to be favorites. Like blues, greens or white for instance.”

“…My eyes are green.” volunteered Ginoza before pressing his lips together a moment later, his expression almost imperceptibly embarrassed as if the comment had slipped out of its own volition.

“Really?” asked Kiyoshiko the corners of her lips twitching upward for a moment before she slowed, having taken only a few steps away from bench, turning back to look over her shoulder at Ginoza. 

Ginoza nodded as he moved to stand in front of Kiyoshiko, sliding the fingers of his good hand in between hers. “…Yes.”

“Tell me about your eyes.” Kiyoshiko tilted her chin up slightly, as if looking up at Ginoza. “…Will you describe them to me?”

“I-… I’m not sure how?...” murmured Ginoza trailing off uncertainly. 

“You could do it the way I was telling you about before…” said Kiyoshiko offering an encouraging smile as she nodded slightly. “Like how my grandparents would,… comparing the color to other things…”

Ginoza eyed Kiyoshiko for a moment before nodding and beginning hesitantly. “All right,… well… I suppose they’re the color of plants and leaves. …Of growing things…” Looking away Ginoza surveyed their surroundings, searching for inspiration as he continued.  
“…Um, and like the way the grass looks in the shade of a tree, darker than when it’s in the sun. Cool, calm, and peaceful…” Trailing off Ginoza bit his lip slightly, his eyes flickering tentatively toward Kiyoshiko as he waited for her approval.

Kiyoshiko smiled humming quietly in response as she reached up to cup Ginoza’s cheek with one hand, stroking her thumb across the top of Ginoza’s cheekbone just under his eye. “You know Nobuchika. …I like your eyes.” Kiyoshiko said in a low voice as she moved closer, as if to keep the statement a secret between the two of them. 

Ginoza drew a soft breath his eyes widening a bit in surprise as a faint, startled blush sprang to his cheeks. Ginoza regarded Kiyoshiko momentarily before he leaned forward, tilting her chin up with one hand to meet her lips with his. Closing his eyes as he felt Kiyoshiko smile briefly against his lips, Ginoza deepened the kiss, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to draw her closer, though the action necessitated Ginoza’s leaning forward a bit more to compensate for the distance imposed between them by her stomach. Sighing Ginoza could feel himself becoming lost in the moment, a sense of contentment drowning out any hint of the self-consciousness that would be usual, in spite of the public setting until Kiyoshiko grunted softly, wincing, and Ginoza felt a surprisingly solid impact against his stomach. 

Pulling back as he let out a startled breath, Ginoza looked down to where his abdomen had been pressed against Kiyoshiko’s belly. “…I felt that.”

“I told you he was active today.” replied Kiyoshiko laughing slightly. “…He’s probably telling us that he’s ready to go home. …Maybe he’ll settle down then.”

“Yes,… you did.” murmured Ginoza as he spread the fingers of his flesh hand over Kiyoshiko’s belly, moving his hand around until he felt another, lighter kick against his palm. Ginoza smiled, his eyes soft, as he let his hand fall after a few moments and took Kiyoshiko’s hand placing it on his arm as they resumed walking. 

“It won’t be that much longer, …I’m glad the room is ready now.” said Kiyoshiko after a few minutes passed.

Ginoza looked over at Kiyoshiko, keeping his expression nearly straight with the exception of a small twitching at the corners of his lips as he spoke. “Yes. …Done in the colors of the sky on a clear day, and a sidewalk that’s wet from rain, as well as that of freshly fallen snow.”

Kiyoshiko looked over at Ginoza sharply, seeming to study him for a moment before smiling and shaking her head. She nudged his side lightly with her arm, drawing a quiet laugh from Ginoza as they made their way toward home through the gathering twilight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on a random idea I had in the course of some of the research for Kiyoshiko's character, after some of the things I'd read and listened to. I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fluff, and that it gives you something interesting to think about too.


	12. Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter how in love a couple is, some things can still put a strain on a marriage. Especially when adjusting to each others quirks and mindsets isn't all you have to deal with. The important part is being able to learn to compromise.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place in June 2118**

“…And that someone that’s pregnant shouldn’t be doing anything strenuous! …But she wouldn’t listen to me!” exclaimed Ginoza waving a hand for emphasis as he paced from the far side of the room back toward where Kogami at on the couch in the living room of the apartment where Akane, and now sometimes Kogami, lived. 

“Gino.” said Kogami as he got to his feet moving to stand in front of Ginoza, putting his hands on his friend’s shoulders to stop his pacing. “Sit down. Breathe. …Drink your brandy.”

The tall raven haired man shot Kogami a glare but did as instructed, plopping down on a chair before snatching his drink from the edge of the coffee table and gulping down half of it before setting the glass aside.  
While he waited for Ginoza to calm down again now that he’d seemed to have finished, Kogami went over what he knew of the evening’s events so far.

What had begun as a small disagreement brought on by something that, under different circumstances wouldn’t have even caused an issue, had escalated into an outright fight between Ginoza and Kiyoshiko. Although Kogami was aware of a few relatively minor conflicts that had occurred lately, tonight’s had been the most severe yet. One that resulted in Ginoza leaving their house to wander the city aimlessly in a state of fury mixed with hurt for several hours, though the dark haired man would of course refuse to admit to the latter, before turning up on their doorstep.

Taking in Ginoza’s strained expression when she answered the door, Akane had stepped aside from the door, ushering the dark haired enforcer inside as Kogami called out from some other part of the apartment inquiring who had been at the door.  
Akane instructed Ginoza to go to the living room, adding that Kogami was already there, before she stepped back toward the door to close it before following in Ginoza’s wake.  
Initially Akane had lingered once Ginoza was seated offering tea and making general small talk while it was prepared before Ginoza’s restlessness and subtle glances at Kogami made it obvious that whatever was on Ginoza’s mind he would rather not talk about it in front of Akane. Taking the hint Akane had made some excuse and retreated to another room, leaving the two men to themselves.  
After Akane was gone, Kogami rose to pour both himself and Ginoza a glass of something a bit stronger than tea and set to work on the task of prying what was bothering Ginoza out of him. It hadn’t taken as long Kogami expected, probably due to having held back this long, but once Ginoza had taken a few sips of his drink he began explaining what had occurred. As he had spoken Ginoza had grown increasingly agitated once more, which brought things to the current point in time. 

“So don’t you think I’m right?” asked Ginoza his eyes sharp as he looked over at Kogami. “After all I’m just trying to look out for her.”

Kogami ran a hand through his hair, taking a sip of his own drink as he thought briefly about how to respond. “You’re not wrong for wanting to do that, Gino. Especially in her condition…” began Kogami.

A triumphant spark flashed in Ginoza’s eyes at Kogami’s words as he interrupted, cutting off the rest of what Kogami had been about to say. “So you do agree with me.”

“…But I’m pretty sure that Kiyoshiko can handle doing something like that…” murmured Kogami, being sure to keep a straight face. “…I mean she took on a cyborg that was strong enough that another one like it was able to rip your arm off. Overall she got away with not much more than a broken leg, a concussion, and some bruises when we took out the Sybil System. …She’s pretty tough.”

Ginoza grimaced in response to both the memory and lack of delicacy in Kogami’s choice of words. “…She wasn’t pregnant then.”

This time Kogami did allow himself a smile as he pointed a finger at Ginoza. “Actually,… I’m reasonably sure she sort of was, given that it seemed like the two of you… got to know each other really well,… the night before.”

“That’s-…! …You-…! …That’s none of your business Kogami!” sputtered Ginoza, his face heating as he looked away.

Kogami laughed at Ginoza’s reaction, drawing another glare from the raven haired man and an annoyed growl, before he finally sobered a few minutes later. “Really though, something like this isn’t worth getting worried over. Even I’ve been able to see by now that she’s got a decent feel for what her limit is and is better at not pushing beyond that point than any of the rest of us.”  
Pausing for a moment Kogami shook his head as he eyed Ginoza “…You know she wouldn’t try anything if she wasn’t sure she could take it… Right? After all you were the one standing up for her and saying she could handle a fight against a sighted opponent back then, when I was afraid she’d get hurt just sparring with me.”

“…Yes,… I know…” groaned Ginoza sighing as he rested his forehead in his hand, his anger and frustration of earlier seeming to have faded in the wake of the embarrassment brought on by Kogami’s earlier comment. Ginoza leaned forward slightly, long fingers gripping his hair for a moment before he sighed again, running the hand over his face. “…But what am I going to do? …How can I tell Kiyoshiko that now? I really upset her this time.”

“Just go home and talk to her. Take her some flowers or something.” advised Kogami leaning forward slightly to set his glass down on the coffee table. “Then the two of you talk and come to some sort of agreement about all this stuff. It’ll be fine.”

Ginoza lifted his head to look up at Kogami. “…How do you know that?”

Kogami grinned in response. “Because she loves you obviously. She wouldn’t have married you, regardless of whether she was pregnant or not, if she didn’t. …And she called Akane about five minutes before you got here.” finished Kogami after a pause, one shoulder moving in a shrug as he continued grinning at Ginoza.

Embarrassment coated Ginoza expression as he groaned leaning forward to cover his face again. “…You’re not serious are you?” asked Ginoza looking up just enough to see Kogami as he spoke. At Kogami’s nod Ginoza sat back running his fingers through his hair as he turned his head in an attempt to mask his embarrassment, looking at Kogami out of the corner of one eye. “Do, …Do you know-…?”

“…What she said?” asked Kogami, finishing Ginoza’s question. “…Not entirely since Akane took the call to our room right away, but from the bit I did catch it seemed like she was trying to figure out where you were.”

“I see.” murmured Ginoza letting his hands fall into his lap as he looked down.

“I think she was probably more worried about you at that point than anything Gino.” said Kogami offering the other man a reassuring smile. “I have a feeling once Akane got us settled the next thing she did was call Kiyoshiko to let her know you were here but that you needed some time still.”

Nodding Ginoza rose from his chair. “…I should go then.”

“All right.” agreed Kogami getting to his feet as well, trailing after Ginoza toward the door.

“Are you leaving Ginoza-san?” asked Akane as she appeared, as if somehow summoned, in the doorway of the living room from another part of the apartment. 

“Yes,… I’ve taken more than enough of your time already.” said Ginoza offering Akane a faint smile as he nodded. 

“Don’t worry about it Gino.” said Kogami glancing back briefly at Akane as she moved to join them at the door, before resting a hand casually on her shoulder once Akane had come to stand just in front of him.  
Akane nodded silently in agreement with Kogami, drawing another small smile from Ginoza.

“Still…” replied Ginoza turning back for a moment, as he opened the door to go. “I apologize for disturbing your evening,… but thank you. Both of you.”

“Anytime.” Kogami offered Ginoza a half smile, nodding at the other man. “And it’ll all work out Gino, you’ll see.”

Once Ginoza had left Akane looked up at Kogami. “…Did Ginoza really try to tell Kiyoshiko that sitting on the couch and folding socks was too much work for her because she’s pregnant?”

Kogami grinned as he looked down at Akane, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. “…Well he said doing the laundry,… but pretty much.”

Akane laughed, covering a smile with one hand as she leaned back against Kogami. “I see.” Akane said sobering a moment later, although she was still smiling a bit. “…They’ll be fine though.”

“Yeah.” murmured Kogami nodding in agreement, his grip tightening around the petite woman’s shoulders as he bent to kiss the top of her head.

**~~~~~~**

Even after Ginoza had made his way back to where he had left the car before setting off on foot, he didn’t return home immediately. Given the lateness of the hour it had taken some time before Ginoza was able to locate a florist that was not only still open but also stocked the flowers he was seeking.  
Arriving back home Ginoza sat for a moment in the car taking slow, steady breaths as he steeled his nerves before finally getting out of the car, the bouquet of flowers he had chosen in one hand as he closed the car door behind him. Making his way toward the house, the start of his intended apology already on his lips, Ginoza had barely reached the door when it opened before him and he was met by the sight of an equally apologetic Kiyoshiko.

As he reached the doorstep Kiyoshiko moved forward pulling Ginoza into as close an embrace as the size of her rounded belly would allow as she said. “I’m so sorry Nobuchika. I-…” began Kiyoshiko, at the same time that Ginoza spoke. 

“Kiyoshiko I-…” started Ginoza, before they both broke off at the mutual interruption. Letting out a breath Ginoza shook his head, placing a hand gently on Kiyoshiko’s shoulder when she pulled back to look up at him her expression faintly embarrassed. 

“…I’m sorry, again.” Kiyoshiko said letting her hands fall as she stepped back to let Ginoza inside. She sighed softly, shaking her head at herself before turning her face back up toward Ginoza. “…What were you trying to say Nobuchika?”

“In a moment.” replied Ginoza handing the bouquet of flowers he was holding to Kiyoshiko. “…Here, I got these for you. They’re Arabian starflowers and bell flowers.”

“Oh Nobuchika, thank you. …Though I really don’t deserve something like this from you right now.” said Kiyoshiko a hint of a frown crossing her features as she took the flowers. “…Will you help me put them in some water?”

“Of course.” Said Ginoza leading the way to the kitchen where he took a vase down from a cabinet. Leaving it on the counter he crouched down with his back toward where Kiyoshiko was working to pet Dime who had padded over to him, while Kiyoshiko arranged the flowers in the vase.

Quiet filled the room, save for the sound of water filling the vase and the sharper sound of scissors cutting through the stems of the flowers for several minutes before Kiyoshiko broke the silence.“…We need to talk.” 

“I agree. …We can’t go on like this.” replied Ginoza his hand stilling in Dime’s fur as he lifted his head, looking over at Kiyoshiko out of the corner of his eye. 

Kiyoshiko turned from the counter, holding a hand out toward Ginoza. “Then shall we?”

Nodding Ginoza got to his feet, taking Kiyoshiko’s hand. He led them to the couch making sure Kiyoshiko was settled on it before sitting down, half turning to face her. “…Where do we start?”

“First,… I need to apologize to you Nobuchika. Even if we’re having a disagreement, this is your home as much as it is mine. It’s not right for me to just tell you to go away and leave me alone. I was wrong.” Kiyoshiko bit her lip, sighing softly as her grip tightened fractionally on Ginoza’s hand. “… I think that all these hormones must be making me more irritable than I normally would be. …But that’s just an explanation, not an excuse.”

Ginoza closed his eyes briefly, feeling a pang in his chest at the reminder of that moment, even though the words were not in earnest this time. Taking a breath to calm himself, trying to push away the lingering feeling of hurt, Ginoza nodded. “…I probably didn’t really help anything with the way I reacted initially tonight either. For that, I’m sorry too.”

“We both got frustrated with each other and ended up saying things we shouldn’t have.” murmured Kiyoshiko nodding slightly as she shifted to make herself more comfortable while sitting facing Ginoza. “What can we do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?”

“I think,… that we need to come to some sort of agreement before hand as to how we handle disputes, in order to keep our conflicts from escalating…” Ginoza paused his gaze moving to Kiyoshiko as he studied her uneasily, trying to gauge her reaction, before continuing. “…That we need to stop and listen to the concerns in question, think about the validity of them rationally, and then decide how to proceed. Rather than simply reacting.”

A small hint of a smile coming to her lips as she nodded. “I think that sounds like a good idea.” said Kiyoshiko as she reached to take Ginoza’s other hand. “…Do you want to go first?”

“All right...” said Ginoza taking a breath which he let out slowly before beginning. “…I-I feel like you’re not even listening when I try to tell you that you should take it easier. After all at this point you’re supposed to be avoiding doing strenuous activities. …I can do more to help out than what I am now if you would just stop fighting me when I suggest it or try to remind you to be careful.”

“Nobuchika,… just because I still want to do things around the house doesn’t mean that I’m not listening, or that I’m not being careful. It’s pretty much impossible for me to forget about that with you and nearly everyone else reminding me constantly. I am still capable of doing things, even if I am pregnant.” Light irritation had begun to color her voice as she spoke and Kiyoshiko broke off, closing her eyes she pressed her lips together for a moment exhaling forcefully through her nose, calming herself once more she continued in a less agitated tone. “…But I promise that I’ll be especially careful, okay? … I might not let you do absolutely everything, but I’ll try to take things slower. …You know that having my independence and being able to do things myself is very important to me...”

“I know that’s important to you.” agreed Ginoza with a sigh biting his lip for a moment before continuing, his grip tightening momentarily on Kiyoshiko’s hands. “…There are just so many things that could happen to you or the baby… It terrifies me when I think about it. …And there’s not really anything I can do about them or to help. Because of that I worry even more about you overworking and straining yourself, since it’s nearly the only thing I can do anything about. …I feel so useless, sometimes.” finished Ginoza his voice quieting over the final statement.

Kiyoshiko let out a breath in a near laugh as she shook her head. “That’s not true. You’re not. …And I’m going to need your help more than ever, especially once our baby is here.”

Ginoza shook his head, letting go of one of Kiyoshiko’s hands to reach up and tuck a bit of her hair back behind one of her ears before cupping her cheek. “You’re amazing. …You could take care of everything by yourself.”

“…I wouldn’t want to. Not without you.” replied Kiyoshiko, touching Ginoza’s hand where it rested on her cheek before leaning forward to rest her head on his shoulder. 

Ginoza took a breath, feeling the last of the ache in his chest disappear, as he wrapped his arm around Kiyoshiko, pulling her to him and letting out a sigh as they leaned back against the couch.  
“I love you.” He murmured quietly as he rested his head against hers.

“I love you too, Nobuchika.” said Kiyoshiko smiling.

“…No matter what?” asked Ginoza, a hint of a teasing smile coming to his lips as he lifted his head for a moment to look down at her. 

Kiyoshiko nodded, wrapping her arm around Ginoza’s waist as she settled more comfortably against him. “No matter what.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The meanings for the flowers in Ginoza's bouquet are: Arabian Starflower/Star of Bethlehem = Atonement, reconciliation and Bellflower = Unwavering Love
> 
> This is another story that largely came out of my research. To be honest I know, basically nothing first hand about pregnancy or having babies. So I've spent a lot of time reading information from various sites, articles, blogs and forums, geared toward mothers as well as fathers.  
> One of the themes I've found that reoccurs often is the complaint from men that "My wife has gone crazy! Nothing I do is right, I want a divorce if it's going to stay like this." and frequently from women is that they feel angry over the slightest things, and/or that their husband is completely over protective.
> 
> Which got me thinking about how Ginoza's worrywart/protective nature might work against him when up against pregnancy hormones. That along with a small moment in a later story had me deciding to write about that and how the development of some of their conflict resolution strategies happened.


	13. Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A judicial system has finally been re-established in Japan, and as Akane had predicted so many months ago the Sybil System's execution order against Kogami is one of the first cases to be heard and decided. Even though such an event wasn't a surprise for any of them, this challenge had the highest stakes of any they had yet faced.  
> Kogami's life, or death, hung on the outcome of this trial.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place near the end of Aug. 2118**

Rain tapped lightly against window of Akane’s apartment, darkening the colored tiles of the balcony where they were illuminated by the light that filtered out through the glass door, though the rain only slightly diminished the humidity that added to the heat of a usual warm August evening in Tokyo. This particular evening found Akane and Kogami as well as Ginoza and Kiyoshiko, along with the newest addition to their family, Tomomi gathered in Akane’s apartment. Ginoza and Kiyoshiko occupied part of the couch across from where Kogami and Akane sat in chairs that had been placed on the other side of the coffee table. The two couples had shared dinner earlier that evening and now were relaxing and chatting after having cleaned up.

On the surface the scene would appear to an observer to simply be that of four friends spending an evening visiting and enjoying one another’s company. However a subtle undercurrent of tension filled the room, growing gradually more pervasive as time wore on, in spite of visible attempts to keep the mood light. Finally a chime rang out through the room, sharply cutting off all conversation, indicating that someone was at the door. All eyes locked on the door, the four adults sat in stark silence for a moment, before the baby in Kiyoshiko’s arms fussed breaking the spell that seemed to have fallen over the room. 

“I-I… should get the door.” murmured Akane glancing over at where Kogami sat on the chair next to hers before getting to her feet and going to the door.

Kogami nodded silently in response, watching for a moment as Akane crossed the room before rising from his chair, the action echoed by Ginoza and Kiyoshiko who came to their feet as well. 

On the other side of the door there stood a pair of men dressed in casual clothing, wearing wristlinks that designated them as enforcers. A woman wearing a MWPSB Inspector’s blue field jacket stepped past them, briefly flashing her identification to Akane as she walked through the door. The woman glanced around the room briefly, her expression serious and focused. “…Enforcer Shinya Kogami?” 

Flicking his gaze over her before pressing his lips together, Kogami squared his shoulders and stepped forward. “That’s me.”

The woman motioned to the two enforcers who had followed her inside, and the two of them moved toward Kogami, one of them taking hold of his arm as the other took out a pair of handcuffs to secure Kogami’s hands in front of him while their inspector continued. “By order of the Ministry of Welfare Public Safety Bureau, you are to be taken into custody and held at Tokorozawa Correction Center, pending trial. As of this time your rights and credentials as an enforcer are hereby revoked indefinitely. Reinstatement of said rights will be determined based on the trial’s outcome. …Do you understand?”

Kogami nodded in response, carefully offering no resistance as he was restrained. 

The inspector’s eyes narrowed fractionally as she looked up from the hologram projected by her wristcom that she had been looking at. “You will answer when asked a question.” said the woman drawing a soft sound of protest from Akane, the woman’s abrasiveness pulling her out of the daze she’d fallen into. 

“I get it. …Just give me a minute before you drag me out of here.” began Kogami speaking quickly to cut Akane off before she could confront the other woman, then as an afterthought added. “…Please.” 

“You have one minute.” retorted the female inspector, her lips tightening fractionally with a hint of distaste.

Kogami steeled himself against the pain he could see in Akane’s eyes, he had refused to look away from her as she watched him being handcuffed. He tried to offer her a reassuring smile, shifting to keep their eye contact from being broken when one of the men stepped between them briefly as he moved to flank Kogami on the opposite side from his partner. “Akane it’s okay. …We knew this was coming.” said Kogami.

“Shinya…” murmured Akane moving closer once Kogami’s handcuffs were on, her voice turning hoarse before she bit her lip, her fingers clutching at the fabric of Kogami’s shirt. 

Kogami squeezed his eyes closed momentarily, taking a breath before raising his cuffed hands to press the back of one of them against Akane’s cheek, smoothing the edge of his thumb over it as he shushed her softly. “I know, …I know. …It’s going be okay Akane.” Kogami lifted his eyes to lock with those of Ginoza who stood next to Kiyoshiko, a short distance behind Akane, in a wordless request. _Please Gino, take care of her…_

As the PSB officers took hold of Kogami’s arms starting to lead him away Akane’s grip tightened on Kogami’s hand, for a moment he thought she might attempt to resist his being taken, and had started to open his mouth to reassure her once more before Ginoza stepped forward putting a hand on Akane’s shoulder. Kogami nodded his thanks wordlessly, receiving a nod in reply before he was drawn outside by the men, who closed the door behind them cutting off Kogami’s view of the others. 

After he was loaded into the back of the waiting paddy wagon, the pair of enforcers followed Kogami in to take seats across from where he was, allowing them to keep a suspicious eye on Kogami as if they were expecting him to cause trouble now that he was out of the sight of his friends. Kogami let out a breath leaning his head back against the wall behind him as he tried to appear relaxed, not wanting to let on to the other two who were present what he was actually feeling, Closing his eyes Kogami tried to convince himself that he was simply being taken out on a routine mission instead and that this trip was no different from any others.

Once they arrived at the isolation facility Kogami was muscled out of the back of the paddy wagon with an enforcer on either side of him, despite his continued lack of resistance, and ushered inside the building with the inspector in the lead. After the inspector had spoken with one of the facility personnel Kogami was handed off, and made to strip and change into a pair of the standard white scrubs that everyone who was confined wore, as well as being thoroughly searched for contraband and relieved of his personal effects. Afterwards Kogami was led to one of the blindingly white cells, the unbreakable glass of the door slid closed behind him, cutting him off from the world outside once more.

Hours passed with little to occupy his mind besides unpleasant thoughts and the slight distraction of the unerring softness of the clothing he wore which felt distinctly different from the fabric of the suits Kogami was used to, until at last the lights in the facility dimmed for the night, plunging Kogami’s cell into near darkness. Closing his eyes Kogami eased back across the cot so that he could lean against the wall behind him. Through the darkness he could faintly hear shouts, screams and cries from some of the inhabitants, the sound and situation both acting as a reminder of the time he had spent in the rehabilitation center after his crime coefficient had risen. Drawing his knees up so he could rest his arms on them, Kogami let his head fall back to rest against the wall willing himself to relax. _…I don’t think this will be as bad though…_ thought Kogami absently, after all it would only be a short term stay, just for the duration of the trial.

Struggling to block out the sounds of his fellow prisoners Kogami attempted instead to distract his mind with other things, and found the sight of Akane’s face as he was taken away replaying repeatedly in his mind’s eye instead. Kogami’s hands curled and he felt the band of metal around his ring finger press into his skin. Upon entering the facility he was supposed to have been made to surrender everything on his person before changing into a prison uniform, but had found his original resolve to cooperate fully being tested when it came to surrendering his wedding ring. Thankfully the guard must have picked up on something in Kogami’s face, given the uneasy expression Kogami had momentarily witnessed, that made him reluctant to press the matter and deal with the fight he imagined would result. 

With the pressure of his only physical link to Akane digging into his flesh, Kogami felt his chest ache in response as he watched tears well up in the corners of Akane’s eyes in his memory. Suddenly thankful for the concealment of darkness as he forced out a breath that hitched softly Kogami leaned forward, pressing his face against his forearms, as if to hide his expression from any onlookers. _…I was wrong,… this time it's worse…_

**~~~~~~**

The first day of Kogami’s trial began quite early, considering the late hour to which most of the participants had been up to the night before. Of Akane, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko, the Ginoza’s were the first to arrive at the Chiyoda Center for Justice and now stood waiting for the events of the day to begin. Holding Tomomi in one arm, Kiyoshiko rocked him slightly as she attempted to sort through the large bag hooked over her shoulder with her free hand. Ginoza stood nearby readjusting his tie for what was probably at least the fifth time, both to offset his nerves and to ensure that his appearance was unquestionably professional, given that he would be testifying that morning.

“Nobuchika, would you hold Tomomi so I can look in the bag and check for the food I was going to bring for Akane-chan? If things are running late already I imagine it’s going to turn into a long day, for her especially.” asked Kiyoshiko, finally giving up her one-handed search, turning toward Ginoza as she moved the shoulder over which the bag in question hung.

“Of course, let me have him.” replied Ginoza stepping closer as he reached out. Though he’d gotten used to holding Tomomi over the past couple of months, Ginoza still couldn’t shake the feeling of being especially conscious of the potential strength of his prosthetic arm as he lifted Tomomi carefully from Kiyoshiko’s arms. Settling Tomomi comfortably Ginoza looked back over to watch for a moment while Kiyoshiko began searching through the bag as she spoke again. 

“Do you see Akane-chan yet?” asked Kiyoshiko.

Ginoza looked around as he shifted Tomomi to rest against his shoulder, gently bouncing and rocking him a bit with anxious energy as he paced in small space that had formed around where he and Kiyoshiko were, while searching for any sign of Akane’s arrival. 

After Kogami had been taken away Akane’s composure had broken entirely for a time, and Ginoza had held her as she wept, until she was able to regain control. Afterwards even though both he and Kiyoshiko had offered to stay either together or separately, so that Akane wouldn’t have to weather the night alone, the younger woman had declined agreeing that she would meet them the following morning at the justice center for the first day of Kogami’s trial.

Finally Ginoza spotted Akane making her way through the people milling around the justice center’s first floor lobby and raised a hand to help her spot them. Shifting her course slightly Akane made her way toward where Ginoza and Kiyoshiko waited. As she approached Ginoza took in the tiredness and not entirely muted sorrow in her eyes, the strain Akane was under already visible to someone who knew her well. His lips pressed into a tight line for a moment before his expression smoothed as Akane came to a stop in front of them.

“Good morning.” said Ginoza offering Akane a slight nod. “…It seems as if there must be some sort of delay, they aren’t admitting anyone into the room yet. … Ah,…I’m sure it’s nothing serious though.” He added after a moment’s pause, belatedly realizing that his initial statement by itself could potentially cause Akane more worry.

“Oh,… I see.” murmured Akane her shoulders tightening fractionally as her eyes strayed toward the door of the room where Kogami’s trial was to take place.

Ginoza sighed attempting to put a reassuring smile on as he tried to come up with something to say that might ease Akane’s fears that wouldn’t simply sound like a false platitude. He had just opened his mouth to speak when Kiyoshiko moved to join them. 

“…Have you eaten yet Akane-chan?” asked Kiyoshiko turning slightly toward Akane as she pulled a sealed container from the bag she was carrying. 

“No,… Just coffee…” murmured Akane in a subdued tone fidgeting with the cup of coffee from a nearby coffee shop that she held in one hand as she shook her head. 

Kiyoshiko nodded, smiling sympathetically as she nodded. “I know you probably don’t feel like eating much right now, given the circumstances… but you need to keep your strength up. At least have a muffin, to go with your coffee?” offered Kiyoshiko, holding out the container she’d brought out to Akane. Inside were several muffins, their tops lightly dusted with the same cinnamon that flavored them. 

Akane hesitated a moment before reaching out to take one of them, murmuring her thanks as she began nibbling at the muffin between sips of her coffee, while she and the Ginoza’s waited. As she did, Akane gradually began to feel a bit better, in spite of a lack of sleep and the bone deep worry over how Kogami’s trial would play out that still tried to consume her. She managed a small smile at Tomomi, whose brown-green eyes watched her with focused intensity while he chewed on his fingers. 

By the time Akane had finished her muffin, the doors were finally opened, allowing them inside. Filing in along with the others who had been waiting, Akane, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko took seats just behind where the table and chairs designated for the defense were positioned. A few minutes passed, allowing low murmurs of conversation to fill the room before silence was called for as the person who would be presiding over the proceedings entered followed by the counsel for the defense and the prosecutor. Lastly Kogami was led into the room, clad in a white prison uniform with his hands bound in front of him, looking equally worn as Akane. As he cleared the doorway Kogami looked around for a moment until he spotted Akane and his expression brightened, though something about it looked as if he were trying to appear positive for Akane’s sake, and his weariness faded slightly. 

As Kogami sat, his counselor leaned over to speak to him briefly before the proceedings began. 

Once instructed by the judge the man representing the prosecution stood, moving from behind the table where he was sitting to take up a position in front of where the jury was seated. The heavily built man was of average height, with black hair and amber eyes which drilled intensely into the jury as he paced back and forth in front of them, his hands folded behind his back. “Members of the jury,… today we are here to see that the justice of the Sybil System is carried out. In this hearing, you will hear testimony from witnesses, and evidence from the MWPSB itself as to the murderous actions and willful disobedience of the defendant, former Enforcer Shinya Kogami which led to the death of Makishima Shogo. The Sybil System has already presented a sentence of execution against Shinya Kogami, which due to his flight from justice, was never carried out. It is now your duty to see that justice carried forward and render a decision in this case.”

In contrast to the prosecutor Arata Katsuo, Kogami’s legal counsel, was a tall lean man with soft brown hair and deep turquoise eyes. As he approached the jury Katsuo made eye contact with each member, offering a slight smile, before beginning to present his opening response to the prosecutor’s words. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,… while we cannot deny that Enforcer Shinya Kogami was responsible for the death of Shogo Makishima, after having investigated repeated crimes in which he was involved. In the course of this trial, I will demonstrate that not only was the Sybil System’s judgement flawed in it’s assessment of how Shogo Makishima should be handled, but also because of that flaw the actions taken by Enforcer Kogami were in fact necessary to help ensure the safety of the citizens of Japan. And due to that necessity the sentence of execution rendered by the Sybil System against him should be rescinded.”

With the opening statements finished Ginoza was the first to be called to testify, and after passing Tomomi to Kiyoshiko, he rose slipping past her before making his way toward the stand. Taking a breath as he tried to calm and compose himself, Ginoza resisted the urge to glance over at Kogami when he walked by where the other man sat. Now above all times it was imperative that he was able to restrain his emotions, as the outcome of the trial and Kogami’s very life hung on what he and the others would say and how they reacted while on the stand. Taking a seat Ginoza resolutely kept his gaze focused ahead and off of Kogami to help ensure his ability to maintain control, placing his hand on the scanner which would constantly monitor his heart rate and other vital reactions in order to demonstrate the truthfulness of his words, as signs of undue stress could potentially cause the scanner to misinterpret his reaction as an attempt at deception. 

Kogami’s councilor allowed Ginoza a moment to settle himself before launching into his questioning. “Ginoza-san, according to the records of the PSB, you were the senior investigator of Division One during the time leading up to Shogo Makishima’s death. I would like you to fill us in on the details related to that event, …perhaps beginning with what occurred shortly after Makishima had escaped the PSB’s custody.”

“Very well.” murmured Ginoza, before taking a breath, trying avoid recalling as well the feelings of stress, frustration and growing despair that were associated with his memory of that point in time. “Several days after the city wide riots that took place in 2113 were suppressed, the PSB received a report of a helmeted individual sighted at an address in Ichikawa. At the time Division One was currently charged with the task of capturing Makishima, and was sent to investigate. Once there the corpse of Nobuaki Kudama was discovered, and it was later concluded that he had been killed by Makishima. …Based on evidence located by Inspector Tsunemori we determined that both Enforcer Kogami and Shogo Makishima were likely to be found at an automated facility in Hokuriku that managed the growth of hyper oats, and made our way there in pursuit of both men…” began Ginoza trying to ensure that his tone remained appropriately dispassionate as he continued reporting the details of the case that had concluded so devastatingly. 

“Thank you Ginoza-san.” said Katsuo after Ginoza fell silent, having finally reached the end of his recounting of the Hyper Oats incident. Kogami’s councilor paused for a moment before pressing onward with his questioning. “…In addition to the case you’ve just given us an overview of, how many additional incidents besides that one was Shogo Makishima believed to have been involved in?”

“He is believed to have been directly responsible for or involved with at least six additional incidents, spanning a period of four years.” replied Ginoza smoothly, in spite of his worry and unease, finding the bland reporting of basic facts reassuring. 

“And you were the Inspector in charge during all of those incidents?” asked Katsuo seeming satisfied with having picked up the indication that his witness was feeling calmer.

Ginoza nodded, unable to keep his gaze from moving momentarily toward where Kogami sat, as he replied. “Yes. …Along with Kogami during the events of Special Case 102. Which was the earliest case the PSB handled that involved Makishima.” 

Katsuo nodded shortly, shifting his attention toward the judge as he called for the PSB’s reports of all of the relevant cases to be included as evidence, before returning his attention to Ginoza. “Can you give us a bit more detail about that particular case, Ginoza-san?” 

Ginoza hesitated a moment then presented a broad overview of what had occurred during the Specimen Case as well, concluding with the fact that the case had been closed following Kogami’s demotion to Enforcer. 

“Didn’t it seem odd to you that the case was closed when the potential of a second perpetrator still being at large was suspected?” asked Kogami’s council after allowing a moment of silence when Ginoza had finished.

Ginoza fought the urge to look away, a muscle in his jaw working for a few moments before he responded. “At the time Division One was still adjusting to the sudden loss of both an inspector and an enforcer. The case had already been handed off to Division Two by that time as well,… With the orders I had been given,… it wasn’t something I particularly tried to dwell on.” 

“Did Enforcer Kogami feel the same?” asked Katsuo by now having begun a steady pattern of question and answer.

“No,… he believed that Sasayama had caught photographic evidence of a second suspect before his death and felt we should have continued pursuing the case.” replied Ginoza with a faint frown, as the fingers of his prosthetic hand curled slightly where it rested in his lap.

Katsuo spared a moment for a quick glance at the jury, gauging their reactions before proceeding to his next question. “And doesn’t it seem as if the occurrence of later crimes also involving Makishima would indicate that Enforcer Kogami was correct in his opinion?”

Ginoza lowered his chin in a fractional nod. “It could be interpreted that way.” 

Katsuo nodded slightly as well, acknowledging Ginoza’s response. “To be clear, your opinion based on nine years of service as a PSB inspector, is that given his history Makishima Shogo would have likely continued his criminal activity, had he not been stopped?”

“His history does seem to indicate that to be the case.” replied Ginoza his voice soft and solemn.

“Thank you Ginoza-san.” concluded Kogami’s defense council, turning to make his way back toward the table where Kogami sat.

Exchanging a nod with the judge, the prosecutor rose from his table walking toward the stand with an air of confidence that bordered on smugness. After coming to a stop in front of the witness stand the heavily built man turned to acknowledge the jury briefly, then redirecting his attention looked Ginoza over for a moment, seeming to be sizing Ginoza up before beginning his cross examination.

“In reference to a point brought up in your testimony earlier, Shinya Kogami refused to give up pursuing a suspect that at the time was not believed to even exist. …According to recorded events it was after the death of one of Division One’s enforcers that then Inspector Kogami’s crime coefficient began to elevate. Doesn’t it seem that there must be some correlation between the two events? That perhaps the reason he so doggedly refused to give up pursuing an assumed suspect, was not out of a sense of justice, but in fact from a desire for revenge against anyone he could tie to that enforcer’s death?”

Ginoza glanced away, leaving the question hanging for a few moments before answering, even then not quite managing to look at the prosecutor as he responded. “…I couldn’t say.” 

The prosecutor’s eyes narrowed fractionally, giving off the impression that he wasn’t all together satisfied with Ginoza’s reply. “Enforcer Ginoza,… I am correct that it’s enforcer now rather than inspector? As you too were demoted following the rise of your own crime coefficient, after the Hyper Oats Incident that you had told us about earlier?” 

“…Yes.” murmured Ginoza, his lips pressing into a thin line for a moment. “That’s correct.” 

The prosecutor nodded dismissively, barely pausing before launching into his next question. “During that incident one of Division One’s enforcer’s became a casualty and you were a witness to that Enforcer Ginoza. …Tomomi Masaoka I believe his name was.” Allowing a moment to pass after his question as if for effect, and to be certain that the subtle dismissal of a mere enforcer’s life implied in his phrasing would be noticed, the prosecutor pressed onward with his question. “Do you have any idea what, if any relationship the defendant had with Enforcer Masaoka? Seeing that Enforcer Masaoka had worked under the defendant, when he was first assigned to the PSB as an Inspector, prior to being assigned to Division One?”

“…They were colleges, of course... After all they had both been assigned as Enforcers to Division One for several years.” said Ginoza his brow furrowing as he studied the prosecutor uncertainly. 

“Do you think it’s reasonable to assume that the defendant might have also considered Enforcer Masaoka to be something of a mentor, given the difference in their experience and age?” asked the prosecutor raising his eyebrows slightly, as if attempting to project an expression of genuine curiosity.

“I suppose…” answered Ginoza feeling a momentary flutter of remembered jealousy, for the time that Kogami had been able to spend being mentored by Ginoza’s father and earning respect for his own abilities from him as well.

“…And how long have you known the defendant?” asked the prosecutor, his tone casual.

Refocusing his attention on the present as he pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind, Ginoza hesitated frowning minutely, somehow he couldn’t help but feel suspicious of the man’s deliberately casual tone as well as the sudden shift in the line of questions he was receiving. “…Since we were in high school.” replied Ginoza cautiously. “Over fifteen years.”

“That’s quite a long time. I would imagine that after all that time the two of you would be considered rather close friends.” 

Ginoza nodded still studying the other man intently. “Yes,… I suppose that could be said.” 

The prosecutor glanced back over his shoulder, briefly eyeing the jury before returning his focus to Ginoza. “Going back to the Hyper Oats incident, …you were severely injured during that case?”

Ginoza nodded in confirmation, hesitating momentarily he took a breath in an attempt to steady himself before responding aloud. “…My left arm was crushed and required amputation at the shoulder. Afterward it was replaced by a prosthetic. My injury along with other factors contributed to the increase in my psychopass.”

The prosecutor’s eyes seemed to glitter predatorily for a moment as he leaned toward Ginoza slightly while asking his next question. “Do you recall if Enforcer Kogami was present at any time after you were injured?” 

“…I-I’m not sure…” murmured Ginoza unconsciously curling the hand that wasn’t resting on the scanner into a fist. In all honesty his memory was spotty at best, between the pain from his injuries and the amount of emotional distress he had been under at the time. But Ginoza did think that he might faintly recall having heard Kogami’s voice, barely penetrating through the overwhelming haze of pain and loss. 

“But you believe it’s possible that Enforcer Kogami was aware of what had happened.” pressured the prosecutor more insistently, as if he had somehow picked up on what Ginoza had been thinking. 

“…Perhaps…” Ginoza had drawn back fractionally as the prosecutor leaned forward, feeling his breathing beginning to quicken in spite of his intention to remain calm and collected while being questioned. 

“So that would mean that Enforcer Kogami knew that Enforcer Masaoka had been killed and that you, his inspector and longtime friend had been gravely injured but still chose to leave both of you behind in favor of hunting down a man who he had been ordered not to harm?” reasserted the prosecutor once more.

“…I…” began Ginoza before breaking off, not sure what he could say in response that would do anything other than make things worse. Looking down Ginoza closed his eyes, trying to collect himself and push past the blood-soaked memories that had begun replaying themselves behind his eyelids, adding to his stress. 

“Answer the question Enforcer!” demanded the prosecutor the edge to his voice, along with the hand that he pounded on the ledge of the stand, breaking into Ginoza’s thoughts. “Isn’t it likely that his actions, and willful delay in rendering or calling for assistance, effectively destroyed any chance of your own crime coefficient from returning to normal after your injuries? That Enforcer Kogami was so set on vengeance that even such a critical situation wasn’t enough to sway him away from his course? So explain how you can in any sort of good conscience attempt to defend a man who could callously leave his friend, and a man he considered his mentor in that kind of state?!” 

Ginoza flinched as the prosecutor slammed his hand down on the stand in front of him, his eyes snapping open. Feeling as if he was reeling, from the way his mind was racing, while he tried to scramble for some sort of answer Ginoza found himself nearly stuttering as he replied. “N-no! …Th-that’s not-…” he managed before Kogami’s defense broke in. 

“Objection, your honor. He’s badgering the witness.” said Katsuo frowning as he glanced toward the prosecutor for a moment.

“…Sustained. …Allow the witness to answer the question at his own pace, Taichi-san, or withdraw it.” instructed the judge with a slight twist to his lips as he directed his attention midway between the prosecutor and Ginoza.

The prosecutor shook his head, abruptly calming as he stepped back. “Withdrawn. …No further questions, your honor.” 

“You’re excused Enforcer Ginoza.” stated the judge, barely deigning to acknowledge Ginoza with a momentary glance. 

After being dismissed from the stand Ginoza stood, and made his way back to his seat, this time shooting Kogami an apologetic look when he passed. Sinking down beside Kiyoshiko, Ginoza bit his lip his flesh hand instinctively seeking out the reassuring warmth of Kiyoshiko’s touch, as he tried to steady himself against the emotions that were trying to force their way out after having been brought up by the prosecutor’s interrogation. The experience of remembering, and then speaking about, that day had left him feeling unexpectedly battered, and as well had only increased his concern about the trial’s outcome. 

“You did what you could… then and now.” murmured Kiyoshiko leaning over to rest her cheek against Ginoza’s shoulder speaking quietly enough that she could barely be heard as she threaded her fingers between Ginoza’s, squeezing gently. Letting out a breath Ginoza nodded, tightening his grip in reply before returning his attention to the stand as he detected Akane shifting in her seat when Yayoi was called as the next witness.

**~~~~~~**

The next day of the trial had, in contrast to the previous day, begun on time with Kogami once more being led into the room once again wearing handcuffs which kept his wrists bound. His features appeared more visibly strained than yesterday, showing the wear that the confinement and trial had him under, and the darkening under his eyes indicated that he’d been sleeping even less than usual.  
Kogami wasn’t alone in experiencing the stress of the situation. Especially after the opening remarks for the day had been made, and the prosecution began by calling their next witness to the stand, even Kogami’s councilor was beginning to appear worried before questioning had gone very far.

“Inspector Shimotsuki, when did you first encounter the defendant?” asked the prosecutor once Mika had taken the stand. 

“When I was in high school. The PSB was investigating the deaths of several students at Oso Academy, where I attended.” Mika stated, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the man who was questioning her. 

The prosecutor leaned forward slightly, folding his hands behind his back. “So Enforcer Kogami was acting under the orders of the inspectors of Division One during the time he was present at Oso Academy?” 

Mika hesitated for a moment, her gaze briefly flickering toward where Kogami sat before her shoulders straightened and she refocused her attention on the prosecutor. “…I’m not sure.”

Allowing his amber gaze to trail over the jury before turning to the judge, the prosecutor spoke. “I request to have it entered into evidence that the records of Division one indicate that at the time of the incident, Enforcer Shinya Kogami had been removed from the case by then Inspector Nobuchika Ginoza, several days prior.”

“So entered.” said the judge, nodding in agreement. 

The addition of the record caused Ginoza to draw a soft breath, his flesh hand curled into a fist where it rested on his thigh as his lips pressed into a tight line.

Turning back to Mika once again the prosecutor continued. “Moving along, Inspector Shimotsuki. Do you recall what the defendant was doing at the time you first saw him?” 

“…He was engaged in a physical struggle with the principal of the Academy, who was attempting to prevent him from enforcing one of the Academy’s students.” replied Mika her brows knitting as she looked away slightly from where Akane and the others sat.

The prosecutor nodded, offering Mika a slight smile before he continued. “Now, going forward in time a bit, was there another occasion that you are aware of when the defendant was connected to a case that you handled as part of your duties as an Inspector?”

“Yes.” replied Mika nodding firmly before sitting up slightly in her chair, her expression hardening.

“Can you explain for us how he was connected to the case in question?” asked the prosecutor an almost imperceptible glint coming to his eye in response to Mika’s reaction.

Mika nodded her shoulders straightening as she lifted her chin fractionally while she replied. “During the interrogation of some terrorists from SEAUn who were apprehended by Division one it came to our attention that they had been in contact with the defendant prior to their arrival in Japan.” 

The prosecutor nodded at Mika’s response before continuing with his next question. “And what had the defendant been doing in SEAUn?” 

A slight frown, one that silently conveyed her disapproval, crossed Mika’s features as she responded. “He was found to have been working with a group of guerillas who were engaged in active rebellion against the SEAUn government and Sybil System which had been established in Shamballa Float.”

The prosecutor half turned for a moment, looking over toward where his opposing council sat, before voicing his next question to Mika. “To your knowledge did the defendant personally take part in these terroristic attacks?” 

“…I… believe there is evidence that he did so.” murmured Mika after a brief pause, her fingers tightening slightly around the edge of the sensor that her hand rested on.

Turning toward the judge once more the prosecutor spoke. “I enter into evidence, video footage obtained from the SEAUn government that was taken by one of their military units. It shows Shinya Kogami driving a vehicle which was used to disable a skanda and assist a group of rebels in escaping during one such attack.” 

Kogami’s councilor half rose from his chair, wearing a faint frown as he spoke. “Objection. …This event took place two years after the incident for which my client is on trial.” 

“…Overruled.” retorted the judge after the barest pause. “I’ll allow it as speaking to the defendant’s character.” 

The prosecutor nodded at the judge, as Kogami’s council sank back into his seat, then returned to Mika again. “…One final thing Inspector Shimotsuki,… speaking to the defendant’s character…” he added, glancing back over his shoulder for a moment toward the defense. “In your opinion as an Inspector over Division One, how has Enforcer Kogami’s performance been since his return to Japan? In terms of fieldwork and such?” 

“…So far he hasn’t caused any problems, and has performed his duty. …However at this time Enforcer Kogami has been strictly confined to deskwork, and is not currently permitted to work in the field.” 

“Oh I see.” murmured the prosecutor, resting a finger against his lips for a moment with a slight frown. “In your opinion, given his history, is there some reason you assume that to be the cause for that?”

“Calls for speculation from the witness…” protested Kogami’s council, directing a look toward the judge, who started to speak before the prosecutor shook his head, stepping back from the stand. 

“Withdrawn. …Thank you Inspector Shimotsuki. …No further questions.” said the prosecutor as he returned to his table, looking satisfied as he made some notes on the tablet in front of him. 

“Very well.” said the judge nodding, he looked toward the table where Kogami’s council sat. “Your witness Katsuo-san.”

Taking a breath Kogami’s councilor rose from his seat glancing down at his notes for a moment before making his way toward the stand. “Inspector Shimotsuki, in reference to the student at your school who Enforcer Kogami was attempting to enforce, was she not later found to have been responsible for the student deaths that occurred, and that she had committed her crimes with the assistance of Makishima Shogo?”

A slight frown crossed Mika’s face as she nodded curtly. “Yes, she was.” 

“Thank you.” said Katsuo quickly moving along to his next question. “As for the case in SEAUn that Division One handled,… was it not discovered during said case that a large portion of the SEAUn military were in fact themselves exploiting the Sybil System and abusing their power.” 

“Yes,… that’s true.” murmured Mika looking increasingly unhappy. 

“Thank you Inspector. I have no further questions.” said Kogami’s council, offering Mika a slight nod before turning and making his way back to the defense table.

Once Mika was excused from the stand after the prosecution opted not to further question her, Akane was called on to expand on the events that had taken place in SEAUn and clarify some of the things that had been brought up in Mika’s testimony. 

Following Akane’s testimony and cross examination by the prosecution, the judge called for a recess to allow for lunch. After the jury had made their way out of the room, Ginoza, Kiyoshiko and Akane filed out, along with the handful of others that were present to watch the proceedings. Akane cast a long look back over her shoulder watching Kogami’s expression tighten before he nodded once in response to something his councilor had said. Then Kogami was pulled to his feet and led out of the room and away to where he was being kept confined during the times when the trial was in recess. 

Some time later Akane and Kiyoshiko had gathered near the wall a short distance down the hall from the court room, Ginoza had just returned to where the two women waited, when Kogami’s councilor joined them. 

“Katsuo-san, what is it?” asked Akane worry sparking in her eyes as she looked up at his approach, taking in the concern in the man’s expression. 

“Inspector Tsunemori… have you given any thought to what course you’re going to take if the outcome of this trial isn’t what you’re hoping?”

Akane drew a soft breath, biting her lower lip for a moment as she clasped her hands anxiously in front of her. “…A bit, but… that’s not going to be necessary, is it?” she asked glancing to one side momentarily as she felt Kiyoshiko’s hand come to rest on her shoulder in a wordless show of support. 

“It’s still too soon to say with any certainty. …But I was watching the both the judge and the jury part of the time during Inspector Shimotsuki’s testimony.” Katsuo paused, shaking his head fractionally before continuing. “…And I won’t lie to you,… the reaction I saw wasn’t good. It definitely hurt our case …even with the attempt at damage control.” 

“I see…” whispered Akane her fingers clenching more tightly on one another at Katsuo’s words. “…What do you suggest then?” 

“At this point not a lot, unless you’ve got some more witnesses we can call that’ll have something to lessen the impact of what’s been said already.” Arata Katsuo let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “I’m afraid we’ll just have to play things out as they stand now. …And I’ll start writing out our appeal.” 

Akane hesitated, closing her eyes she looked down pressing her lips together tightly as a muscle in her jaw worked briefly. When she lifted her gaze a moment later her eyes had regained a bit of their determination. “…All right.” She said nodding at Katsuo. “But put together a petition for Kogami-san to be reinstated to the rank of Inspector for the MWPSB, as well.” 

Next to Akane, Ginoza drew an audible breath, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly. “…Tsunemori…” he murmured quietly, his tone bordering on astonishment. 

“We can’t give up yet.” insisted Akane, glancing briefly over at Ginoza though most of her attention remained focused on Katsuo. “This is our best chance to establish doubt in the Sybil System, and once we’ve done that we have to keep moving forward right away.” 

Katsuo shrugged nodding. “That’s your decision.” Taking note of a brief rise in the volume of conversation near them, he glanced over his shoulder toward the court room which was beginning to fill once more. “Looks like things are about to get started again.” Looking back to the others once more Katsuo focused his attention on Kiyoshiko. “You wanted to speak on his behalf, are you ready for that after seeing how things just went in there?” 

“I’m ready. I want to do whatever I can to help.” said Kiyoshiko nodding firmly as she half turned to pass Tomomi to Ginoza, her attention remaining fixed on Katsuo as she turned back to him once Tomomi had been settled in Ginoza’s arms. 

“At this point it’s debatable how much good it’ll do,… but you’re up next then.” said Katsuo spreading a hand at his side in a sort of resigned gesture before he turned to make his way back into the court room.  
Once they returned to the courtroom, Akane, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko made their way back to their seats, waiting a short time before the trial resumed, and as discussed Katsuo called on Kiyoshiko to testify. Meeting Kiyoshiko at the end of the row where she and the others were sitting Katsuo offered her his hand, guiding her up to the witness stand.

Katsuo allowed Kiyoshiko a moment to settle herself and place her hand on the sensor before beginning his questioning. “Kiyoshiko Ginoza-san, will you please tell the court what your position is within the MWPSB?” 

Kiyoshiko nodded letting her arm fall from the arm rest of her chair to place her free hand in her lap. “I’m a part the human resources department of the PSB, specializing in Enforcer Affairs.”

“And as part of your job I assume you are aware of the backgrounds of the PSB’s Enforcers and the cases they are involved with? Including the cases relevant to these proceedings?” asked Katsuo stepping close enough to rest a hand on the ledge of the witness stand.

“Yes. I am at least marginally familiar with the cases in question, and I have also been given an account of the events of Special Case 102 from the defendant himself.” replied Kiyoshiko her expression remaining calm and composed.

“And what is your opinion of the defendant’s character, given the knowledge you have of him now, as well as of his past actions?” asked Katsuo nodding in response to her answer as he smiled slightly, even though Kiyoshiko would be able to see neither reaction.

“In my opinion Kogami-san is a man of good character and an asset to the MWPSB, both due to his detective skills and his sense of duty. In reference to his past actions, I believe that time as well as changing circumstances has naturally had an influence on how he views the measures he took at the time.” stated Kiyoshiko before pausing for a moment allowing her initial comments to settle in before she continued. “From what I have seen of Kogami-san during the time I have been personally acquainted with him, I have found him to be a thoughtful person and someone who is carefully considerate of his actions. Perhaps even more so than he was in the past, given that he has seen personally how aspects of a situation can play out in a way he did not anticipate. He also has a strong desire to protect people, and to see justice carried out… which I believe is one of the reasons he is participating in this trial currently. If that were not the case Kogami-san would not have stayed in Japan all this time nor rejoined the MWPSB, but instead would have fled the country and most definitely not have made and strengthened the connections and relationships that he has since returning.”

Katsuo nodded once more as Kiyoshiko finished speaking. “And can you give some example of these strengthened connections to Japan and the people here?”

Kiyoshiko nodded. “Easily,… For instance Kogami-san was married several months ago.” 

“And a marriage would be an example of stability and a desire to set down roots in the community?” asked Kogami’s counselor, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“…I believe most people would generally consider that to be the case.” said Kiyoshiko smiling as she inclined her head in a nod.

“Thank you, Kiyoshiko-san.” said Katsuo smiling fractionally as he nodded. “That will be all.”

Once Katsuo had finished questioning Kiyoshiko, the prosecutor was offered the opportunity to cross examine her. Narrowing his eyes slightly the prosecutor studied Kiyoshiko for a moment before shaking his head at the judge. 

“Very well.” said the judge, turning his attention to the courtroom at large as he continued. “Court is adjourned while deliberations take place, until 10 a.m. tomorrow. At that time court will reconvene for the announcement of the verdict.”

**~~~~~~**

After the court session had ended the previous day Akane had told Ginoza and Kiyoshiko that tomorrow instead of waiting for her as they had been doing the past two days, they should go inside once the doors were opened and find a seat. She explained that there was something she needed to tend to first and wasn’t sure exactly when she would arrive. As Akane had asked the two of them had entered the court room and now sat waiting for the final day of the trial to begin.

Akane paused at the door, looking around for a moment before her eyes settled on where Ginoza and Kiyoshiko sat in the row just behind the defense table. She stepped forward, followed by Shion, Yayoi and Hinakawa, who moved to sit in the row just behind Akane, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko. A few minutes later Kogami was led in, then shortly after the judge and jury arrived. A tablet was handed over to the judge, and Kogami was ordered to his feet for the reading of the verdict that the jury had reached. 

Kogami felt a light tug as Akane’s fingers curled tightly in the back of his shirt while he stood, waiting for the verdict to be announced. As a thin trickle of sweat ran down his back Kogami almost felt as if the judge was attempting to build suspense, while the man silently read over the decision the jury had reached not once or twice but three times as a frown spread across his face. Trying not to appear as anxious as he actually felt Kogami held his breath as the judge looked across the room at him, at last opening his mouth to speak. 

The judge’s expression was stern, and somewhat displeased as he recited the verdict that had been recorded on the tablet. “In the case of The People verses Shinya Kogami, the jury has reached a verdict that the case against Shinya Kogami should be dismissed and the sentence of execution, as rendered by the Sybil System be withdrawn. …It is the conclusion of the jury that while Enforcer Kogami’s actions were not entirely defensible they ultimately supported the security of the citizens of Japan. There was also consideration made due to the value of his service and assignment as a member of the PSB at the time. In addition there is evidence that the defendant has shown evidence of a positive change in the years since, and so the jury has agreed that Shinya Kogami should be reinstated fully to his former position as an enforcer for the MWPSB.” 

As the judge finished speaking and lowered the tablet, the room erupted in sound. Kogami dimly heard Akane’s voice calling out his name from behind him, sounding choked with emotion. He felt his head swimming as he let out the breath he’d been holding. For a moment he felt as if he might collapse, and swallowed hard past the sudden tightness in his throat as the handcuffs around his wrists were removed. The moment his hands were freed Kogami turned, and found his arms full of Akane as she launched herself toward him, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clung to him. 

Wrapping his arms around Akane’s waist as tightly as he could, Kogami bent to bury his face against the side of her neck, feeling his eyes beginning to sting as repeated apologies slipped from his lips. “…I’m sorry… I’m so sorry Akane… I’m sorry…” he whispered, feeling the guilt over having put her through all of this come crashing back over him now that it was over, even more strongly than it had when they had been separated the night before the trial. 

Akane shook her head shushing him quietly, one hand moving to cup the back of Kogami’s head as she wrapped her other arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay… It’s okay, Shinya. …It’s all over now.” 

Nodding Kogami pulled back, releasing his hold on Akane to place his hands on either side of her face brushing away her tears with his thumbs before dropping kisses on her cheeks and forehead. 

After a few moments Kogami pulled back as he felt Katsuo gripping his upper arm in an attempt to get his attention. Standing nearby was a PSB inspector, though not the one who had been present when he was placed under arrest. At the inspector’s command Kogami held out his arm, allowing an enforcer’s wristlink to be locked into place around his wrist once more. As soon as it was on, Kogami turned back to Akane, wrapping his arms around her back to pull her close. Closing his eyes as he let out a relived breath Kogami rested his chin on the top of Akane’s head, feeling her arms tighten around his waist. They stood that way for an amount of time that Kogami didn’t care to keep track of, until Akane’s voice penetrated his thoughts, her voice muffled against his chest. “…Shinya… The judge.” She murmured, finally tilting her head back to look up at him. 

“….-Enforcer Kogami…” repeated the judge once more, finally gaining Kogami’s attention. “In regards to the petition I’ve just been handed by your legal counsel, requesting that your status as a latent criminal be expunged and that you be reinstated as an inspector for the PSB, I abstain from rendering a decision on that matter.” The judge looked down at where Kogami stood, his expression disdainful. “Fortunately for you, it is not a matter that I am willing to address. However for the record I will state that I am against such an action, and believe that it would be extremely unwise to allow your return to life as a normal member of society.”

Wordlessly Kogami nodded his expression sobering briefly until he looked down at Akane who stood looking up at him with a slight, concerned frown. Offering Akane a smile for reassurance before tilting her chin up with a gentle touch Kogami lowered his lips to meet hers, kissing her deeply. 

He wasn’t free, not just yet, at the moment though it somehow failed to matter. For the moment nothing else, not the band of the enforcers wrist link once again bound around his wrist, nor the pressure of Gino’s hand gripping his shoulder as he said something to Kogami, seemed to matter in comparison to the feel of Akane’s mouth against his.  
Breaking away at last to catch his breath, Kogami looked up finally taking a moment to acknowledge the other members of Division One who had by now moved to surround he and Akane where they stood.  
Feeling a smile spreading across his face Kogami turned his attention toward responding to the comments, warm touches and hugs directed toward him. Laughing a bit Kogami rubbed at the stain of red lipstick that Shion left on one of his cheeks, after having elbowed Ginoza out of the way, before the analyst had turned away to plant a kiss on Akane’s cheek as well, as if ensuring that there would be no call for jealousy. Reaching out Kogami gripped Ginoza’s shoulder, grinning at the other man for a moment before looking over to exchange a nod with Yayoi where she stood in the space between Shion and Hinakawa, who was closer to the edge of the group.

He may not be completely freed, but for right now what he had was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story turned out to be even more of a challenge to write than I thought it would be. 
> 
> It also ended up a bit longer than I planned as I tried to find some sort of balance between the length, showing at least a bit of the testimonies/arguments that took place, and still telling the rest of the story too. (it really would have been a lot longer if I'd shown everyone's testimonies) 
> 
> But hopefully I've managed to strike enough of a balance between all three without letting the story get bogged down too much by back and forth question and answers. As always, Happy Reading. :)


	14. Crash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of the attack on NONA tower, and the part he had played in it, was the most horrific experience Sho Hinakawa had ever had. Even now one year later, the events of that night still plagued him, pushing Hinakawa toward the brink of desperation as he tried to hide just how badly he was affected by them.
> 
> Warnings for: Depression, PTSD, self-medication, accidental overdose, discussion of suicidal ideation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of all my stories this has been the one I've had the most qualms about writing, mostly because of the subjects it deals with, which I realize are serious ones and can be very sensitive topics.  
> Please know before reading that it is not in any way my intent to make light of the struggles others might be going through. And that it is possible that there may be flaws in certain aspects of the story, whether due to the dystopic nature of Psycho-Pass and a lack of clarity/knowledge about how certain things are handled in it's society, or due to my own lack of understanding/knowledge in spite of the googling for information that I've done. 
> 
> Make sure to take note of the warnings listed in the chapter summary, and if you choose to proceed, enjoy the story. 
> 
>  
> 
> **This story begins in Sept. 2118**

In the year that had passed since the destruction of the Sybil System, Hinakawa had been increasingly plagued by nightmares that sprang from his memories of the fight in NONA tower. At first he had been able to push the memories aside for the most part, but recently he had begun relive the event in varying degrees of intensity even when he was awake. So far he didn’t think that anyone else had noticed when he would zone out for stretches of time before abruptly returning to the present wide eyes and gasping for air as he tried to calm himself down. At least he hoped that was the case. Lately in an effort to stem the effects of his memories Hinakawa had begun to experiment with new combinations of his usual mix of drugs, trying to find one that might help him repel the images and voices that he endured when his guard fell.

He had even stopped watching any news videos entirely as the subject of the Sybil System was nearly the sole topic being discussed now that it had been announced publicly that the use of the System across Japan as a whole would begin to be phased out. With the announcement had come a rise in crime as people decided to test if the phasing out of the System meant they could get away with things they hadn’t been able to previously

It had created more work than usual for Division One and the rest of the members of the PSB, allowing little time off for Hinakawa and the others, even with the increase in MWPSB personnel, since manpower was still stretched thin. Feeling guilty Hinakawa had embraced the increased workload as it meant that he had less time to think about anything beyond the case at hand, and even less time than usual that he would have to spend avoiding sleep and the accompanying nightmares that woke him up screaming. 

Today had been the worst the memories and flashbacks were so far, as the day marked exactly one year since he and the others had succeeded in their attempt to destroy the Sybil System. In spite of their schedule the members of Division One had met in Hinakawa’s quarters, in a sort of informal wake to commemorate Sugo, and those from NorAL and SEAUn who had died during the battle. In the months since Kogami’s trial had occurred, Kogami like Ginoza had moved out of his old quarters, leaving Hinakawa, Yayoi and Shion as the only members of Division One who still occupied space at headquarters. Though Hinakawa had initially hesitated when the idea of his rooms for the location of the get together had been suggested, as it was the least crowded now that Yayoi and Shion occupied a shared dorm. In the end even he had agreed with the reasoning for the selection, even if it meant that his usually closely guarded privacy would be diminished, Hinakawa only hoped that the evening wouldn’t reveal things that he had been trying to keep from burdening the others with. As the night had progressed Hinakawa had found himself increasingly tuning out what was being said, but having everyone else there had helped to drown out the voices and memories for a while. 

But now that the others had gone, they returned with more intensity than ever. 

Hinakawa’s hands shook as he moved to begin cleaning up, trying to ignore the whispers of the deceased in his ears. Looking up as he placed a few glasses into the sink Hinakawa even caught sight of the bloody corpse of one of the men who he had led into NONA tower standing nearby, it’s half remembered face standing out in sharper detail now than at any time in the past. 

Hurriedly turning away, lowering his gaze as he gripped the edge of the sink, Hinakawa squeezed his eyes closed with a murmured apology. “…I-I’m s-sorry. …I’m s-sorry. …P-please just leave me alone…”

Keeping his eyes closed as he bit his lip Hinakawa tried to force his attention elsewhere hoping that he could distract himself from what he knew was yet another hallucination, but rather than the image dissipating after a few moments, Hinakawa felt his skin prickle with goosebumps as a cold chill fell over him. Turning away from the sink with a bitten off shout Hinakawa scrambled backward across the kitchen area in panic as he tried to put some distance between himself the horrifying vision of the last survivor of his team from NONA tower, who was currently sporting a hand sized hole in his chest. Adrenaline coursed through Hinakawa’s veins as he scrabbled along the counter with one hand searching for something to defend himself with. His fingers closed around the neck of a partially full bottle and he pulled it closer, holding it out in front of him in a useless gesture of defense with shaking hands. 

_…They- They’re not real… They’re not really here…_ Hinakawa tried to remind himself. The bottle would be useless in warding them off, its contents however might. Hinakawa knew it probably wasn’t the best idea, after all he had no idea how alcohol might interact with the new combinations of his usual drugs and supplements that he’d been trying. _…Still… could the effects be that much worse than this?_

Closing his eyes as he tilted his head back, gulping down the contents of the bottle, Hinakawa hoped that it would be enough to make the visions retreat. When Hinakawa finally reopened his eyes he watched as the room abruptly started to tilt sideways, and dropped the bottle he was holding to reach out a hand to hold himself steady against the side of the counter top. His hand came up against empty air, sending him crashing to the floor as one of the specters which had been across the room started to close in on where he lay. Some fragmented part of Hinakawa’s mind flickered with the realization that he’d made a mistake and was in danger.

His head spinning with the combined effects of the amount of alcohol he’d just drank and his medications Hinakawa felt his stomach lurch trying to expel its contents. He felt the burning bite of bile beginning to rise in his throat and managed to weakly prop himself up on an elbow as he vomited before collapsing to the floor again a few inches away from the mess. Blackness curled into the edges of Hinakawa’s vision as his mind momentarily cleared enough to remind him that he needed to call for help, as much as he hated the thought of anyone else seeing just how badly he’d messed up. Numbing fingers started to reach for the wristlink on his left arm but Hinakawa wasn’t sure if he’d actually succeeded in calling anyone before his eyes drifted closed, though he thought he might have heard his door chime, followed by a urgent pounding and the sound a voice calling out.

The feeling of a sharp surge of pain erupting in his cheek as it was struck yanked Hinakawa back to semi-consciousness, and his eyes slitted open allowing Hinakawa a glimpse of Yayoi’s face filling his vision as she leaned over him her ponytail falling forward over one shoulder.  
Distantly Hinakawa heard a second voice, its current commanding tone far removed from the bubbly enthusiasm it normally carried, as it issued orders to Yayoi.

“Get him up and keep him moving. Make sure he stays awake.” ordered the voice as Hinakawa’s vision started to gray out again. “I’m on my way to you.”

Hinakawa felt his arm being pulled over a set of shoulders that were only barely smaller than his own, before being levered upwards to stand. His head wobbled giving him alternating views of the floor and his room as he struggled even in his current state to not burden anyone and support his own weight. “…I-I’m s-sorry…” repeated Hinakawa again, this time not even certain if he was apologizing to Yayoi, or to the deceased who were still lingering at the edges of his vision. 

“Don’t worry about something like that right now.” came Yayoi’s soft, steady voice from near his ear as she half-marched and half-dragged him down the hallway outside the enforcers quarters. “Just stay with me. …Keep talking.”

 _….A-about what then?..._ Hinakawa wondered dazedly, the confused haze that currently filled his brain doing little to aid him in thinking of anything to say apart from the half formed apologies that continued to dribble out past Hinakawa’s lips in erratic intervals as Yayoi maneuvered him down the hall. Even on Hinakawa’s best days he would find it challenging to hold a conversation with almost anyone, but especially the female members of the Division and particularly Yayoi, who continued to seem a little intimidating to him even after the years they had worked together.

Partway down the hall a second person joined them, bringing a stronger scent of the floral fragrance that Yayoi wore in more subtle levels along with them, as the person pulled Hinakawa’s other arm over their shoulder to help Yayoi support his weight. Once they were in the elevator Hinakawa was shifted to lean back against the wall with Yayoi holding him upright as Shion gripped his chin lightly to tilt Hinakawa’s head and hold it steady while she shined a light in his eyes. Hinakawa flinched halfheartedly at the sudden brightness, trying to turn his head away in spite of Shion’s order to hold still, until he caught sight of yet another bloodied corpse past the blonde woman’s shoulder and squeezed his eyes closed against the lurking specter with a soft whimper.

Moments later the elevator slid to a stop and Hinakawa found himself being bundled out of it before being helped on to a stretcher where he lay back, finding the last of the energy he’d mustered earlier to make it down the hallway with Yayoi’s help fading away as his eyes started to close again, a heaviness was settling on his chest and it was starting to become difficult for Hinakawa to breathe. The last thing Hinakawa heard as darkness enveloped him was Shion’s voice shouting instructions at the technicians who had brought the stretcher as it began to move toward the medical ward.

 

When he awoke next Hinakawa was still disoriented, though not so much that he failed to notice the oxygen mask over his face, which he pulled off while listening to the sound of the voices just outside the door to his room. He listened for a few minutes with his eyes still closed, not ready yet to confront again the visions he’d seen before losing consciousness if they continued to linger. Fighting off a feeling of anxiety that prickled along his nerves causing him to shift restlessly on the bed Hinakawa listened deciphering that they were talking about him, or rather what he’d done, as well as the potential ramifications. To Hinakawa’s ears one of the voices sounded like Akane’s, bringing a sudden flush of shame to his face.

As the door slid open quietly and footsteps entered the room Hinakawa opened his eyes, pushing himself up to sit a bit more upright against the head of the bed. He allowed himself a brief glance to confirm that Akane was one of the people who had entered, trailed a few steps behind by Shion, before fixing his gaze on his hands which plucked at and fidgeted anxiously with the sheet as Hinakawa waited for Akane to speak. 

Several minutes passed before Akane finally did speak, letting out a breath in what Hinakawa felt was almost a sigh. “…Hinakawa-kun,… what happened?”

Unable to look up to meet Akane’s eyes Hinakawa shook his head. Biting his lip he tried to come up with something, anything that would make the situation better, but with the internal struggles he’d been wrestling with lately even the explanation that it had been an accident, felt more like an excuse. He was beginning to wonder how much longer he could go on trying to hide what was really wrong, if he could manage it at all now. _…Could he even do his job anymore?_

_…What will happen if I can’t?..._ As Hinakawa sat searching for something to say, his thoughts churning as they continued grinding him down toward exhaustion, Akane’s voice intruded once again as she took a step closer to Hinakawa’s bed causing him to flinch away at the reminder of her presence.

“…Hinakawa-kun, I need you to give me an answer…” said Akane her voice carrying a tone in that that suggested to Hinakawa that she might have said something similar already when he wasn’t paying attention. 

_Even if I keep trying, how much longer will it be before something like this happens again? How long will it be before something happens while we’re on a case and someone else,… maybe even Onee-chan,… gets hurt because of it?_ Hinakawa squeezed his eyes closed his fingers clenching tighter in the bedsheets as he bit back a distressed moan before it could become audible. “I c-can’t do it…” he whispered. “…Th-they won’t leave me alone….”

Akane frowned leaning a bit closer as if she hadn’t heard what Hinakawa had said. “…Hinakawa-kun?”

Hinakawa drew back sharply, his hands jerking at the sheets as he flinched away from Akane. His voice dropped lower, tinging with remorse as he repeated himself. “I-I don’t think I c-can keep working anymore…”

Akane was silent for several minutes, which gave Hinakawa’s mind ample time to lay out in detail for him just how badly he was failing Akane, and betraying the trust she had in him with the decision he was making. Finally Akane sighed, the sound brining Hinakawa’s attention back to her just in time to hear what she was going to say. “Hinakawa-kun, are you sure? …You understand what it means if that’s your decision? That according to the regulations that are still in place,… if you aren’t going to be an enforcer anymore… there’s nothing I can do to prevent your being sent back into isolation at a rehabilitation center?...”

A weight seemed to settle over Hinakawa either from the remaining effects of the overdose or from another cause he wasn’t sure, but it felt as if he were slowly being robbed of even the energy it took to sit upright and continue to think and speak. Swallowing hard Hinakawa nodded, wanting nothing more than simply to be left alone and fall into sleep, with his fading strength he managed to reply his voice sounding even quieter and weaker to his ears than it had before as he sealed his fate. “…I know…”

**~~~~~~**

Over the course of the little more than a day it took for the transfer request to go through, Akane made several more attempts to ensure that Hinakawa’s mind was made up, and that returning to a rehabilitation center was really what he wanted. After arriving at the rehabilitation facility Hinakawa, over the course of the first few days, began to notice subtle differences in the handling of the facilities occupants since he had last occupied such a place. In the past Hinakawa and the other ‘patients’ would have been allowed to languish, with no real care or concern given to their wellbeing or contact with other people as long as their hues and crime coefficients didn’t spike suddenly or sharply enough to trigger the release of sedatives into their cells.

Now rather than being left entirely alone Hinakawa was made to leave his cell at least once a day to receive therapy from a doctor. Hinakawa also took vague, detached notice of the words the doctors and staff of the rehabilitation facility tossed around over his head, among them ‘depression’,… ‘relapse’,… ‘post-traumatic stress’. 

Still the days were beginning to blur together, with the passage of time marked mostly by being dragged to one therapy session or another, interspersed by drones delivering medications or food which Hinakawa found himself hard pressed to make the effort required to consume any of. He had lost track of how much time had passed between periods of wakefulness and half-drugged sleep, when he heard the sound of a voice outside the glass front of where he was confined. 

Though he couldn’t yet see the voice’s owner, it was none the less familiar enough that he could figure out their identity. Shion was currently arguing with one of the rehab facility’s staff, insisting that Hinakawa was no danger to herself or the person with her and that he was in fact a colleague, so there was no reason not to permit them to enter his cell. In response to some unheard reply from the staff member Shion added that she was also still listed as Hinakawa’s physician so on those grounds at the very least she couldn’t be denied contact with her patient.

Sighing Hinakawa closed his eyes, rolling over to face the wall as he pulled his knees up so that he lay half curled on the bed, wondering if he would be left alone by pretending he was asleep. After a few moments more Hinakawa heard the door to his cell slide open to admit Shion and Yayoi, the former having apparently won her argument.

Shion swept inside, her bubbly presence feeling overpowering in the small space, as she chirped out a greeting before she looked around and caught sight of Hinakawa. Shion’s face fell, her brow furrowing in concern as she handed her coat to Yayoi who had entered silently behind the analyst. 

“Hinakawa-kun? …Are you feeling any better now?” asked Shion as she stepped toward his bed, crouching down a bit so that she wouldn’t be standing over him quite so prominently, as she rested a hand on the edge of the thin mattress. “…Everyone is looking forward to having you back at the PSB.” Shion added after a pause, her red lips curving into a smile.

A faint pink blush rose up Hinakawa’s neck to the tips of his ears, a wave of humiliation washing over him, as he remained silent. _That’s right… everyone probably knows about what happened. …About how I messed up…_ thought Hinakawa recalling after a moment that Shion and Yayoi had both been present that night along with Akane.

“…You’re… not actually asleep are you?” questioned Shion after several moments had passed without receiving a response. Her attempt at a reassuring smile faded, her fingers brushing Hinakawa’s shoulder before he flinched away, giving up on the ruse.

“…Please,…” whispered Hinakawa in a barely audible voice, which caused Shion to move closer still in order to hear him, though Hinakawa wished that she and Yayoi both would leave. With the weight of the blackness that was settling over him, Hinakawa didn’t have the energy left to deal with either woman.“…Just leave me alone…”

Shion frowned her worry now more obvious as she reached for Hinakawa’s shoulder again. He unconsciously cringed away, curling in on himself more tightly to avoid being touched. “…Sho-kun-…” began Shion before pausing as Yayoi’s hand touched her arm drawing the analyst’s attention away. 

At a shake of Yayoi’s head Shion withdrew her hand before coming into contact with Hinakawa’s shoulder, though Shion looked back at him while still wearing the same worried frown as she did. Shion rose reaching out to take her coat from Yayoi while sighing. “…Okay,… if that’s what you really want…”

“We’ll see you later, okay...” added Shion as she and Yayoi finally made their way toward the door which slid open before them. As she stepped through Yayoi looked back over her shoulder allowing Hinakawa to see the concern, or rather pity, his traitorous mind informed him after a moment, in her eyes before the door slid closed behind the two women locking him in once more. The sentiment stabbed into Hinakawa’s chest, burning along his skin in a reminder of how pathetic he must appear now. The room seemed a bit smaller as he closed his eyes hoping futilely for the peace of a dreamless slumber.

Once Hinakawa realized that even though he had left the PSB, the others still intended to try to visit him in the rehabilitation center, there had been one visitor he had been dreading more than any other.  
On the day Akane made her appearance outside Hinakawa’s cell he lay with his back toward the clear glass of the door, as he had since being informed that he had a visitor. After greeting Hinakawa, Akane had initially tried talking to him, asking him how he was, and about what he’d been doing recently among other things, obviously attempting to make some sort of small talk to fill the silent awkwardness that overlay the situation. Before long Akane seemed to run out of questions to ask and instead began talking about random subjects, in addition to occasional remarks about what she and the rest of Division One had been doing lately.

While Akane continued speaking Hinakawa remained curled on his side facing the wall, unable to make himself look at Akane and see for himself just how badly he’d let her down. Closing his eyes more tightly he tried harder to make it appear that he was asleep, so that she would leave and stop wasting her time on him, in spite of the way his breaths hitched and tears had begun to trickle from his closed eyelids. Surely there was no way that the inspector he admired so much could be anything other than disappointed, after all it wasn’t as if Hinakawa felt like anything other than an overwhelming failure, apart from the guilt he had over what he was putting the other members of his division through because of what he’d done. Even if the result had been unintentional at the time and more an unthinking attempt to escape the scenes inserting themselves in his mind.

After she had talked for a while with no response Hinakawa heard Akane sigh, her fingers making a slight sound as they slid down the glass door of his cell when she let her hand fall to her side. “…I-… well everyone really-,… We all miss you at work, and are hoping that you’ll start feeling better soon…” said Akane waiting for a moment, as if hoping that her last statement at least might gain a reaction, before turning to go.

As time passed in the rehabilitation facility Hinakawa began to pick up on other changes to the way patients were treated, including being moved to a new room which had an actual door on it, allowing for a bit more privacy than the glass fronted cells. Though after letting his eyes wander aimlessly around the room for a while he did notice a camera which was positioned to give a view of the entire room, meaning that appearances to the contrary the facility’s inmates were still closely monitored. Another change from when he had inhabited a similar facility in the past, Hinakawa discovered when he was made to stop forcing his visitors to come to his room while he pretended to sleep, but instead to meet with them in the facility’s visitors’ room.

When he was shown into the room Hinakawa looked around absently, not so much out of genuine curiosity, but more to avoid looking at his current visitor. At first glance the room appeared similar to any other with holographic potted plants decorating the side of the room where non-inmates sat separated by a barrier, which after a second look Hinakawa noticed no longer included a ceiling high glass pane, though the low wall remained. On the other side of the partial barrier sat Ginoza, his folded hands resting on the narrow counter as he waited for Hinakawa to arrive and sit down.

 

The majority of Ginoza’s current visit was spent catching Hinakawa up on the most recent news from the rest of Japan, the MWPSB, and finally the rest of Division One, even though he received little to no response from Hinakawa who simply sat silently with his gaze fixed on either his hands or the surface of the barrier and ledge that stood between them until Ginoza finally ran out of things to say. After Ginoza fell silent both of them continued to sit across from each other, with Hinakawa shifting in his chair with subtle unease as he realized that even though he was no longer trying to introduce subjects that might induce Hinakawa to respond, Ginoza seemed in no hurry to leave.  
Finally after some time had passed Hinakawa found himself unexpectedly breaking the silence of his own volition with words that had been fighting to bubble to the surface for the past few weeks.

“…It would be better if-…” murmured Hinakawa quietly before cutting himself off. He’d caused enough trouble for the others already there was no point in burdening any of them further, Hinakawa thought as he felt himself slump more deeply into the chair as if the unspoken words themselves were adding extra weight to his body. 

Ginoza’s gaze focused on Hinakawa with added intensity, having caught the barely audible remark, as well as some sense of the familiar sentiment that likely lay behind it. “…Better if, what?” he asked waiting for Hinakawa’s response, if one was in fact forthcoming.

Hinakawa’s breath caught, he hadn’t really intended for Ginoza to hear him, biting his lip he held it for a few moments debating if he should say what he’d been thinking aloud. “…I-if maybe Kunizuka-san hadn’t f-found me in time…”

“What makes you think that?” asked Ginoza his attention still fully focused on Hinakawa, though to Hinakawa’s surprise the other man didn’t react with any of the distress or revulsion he had expected. 

Hinakawa’s shoulders hunched as he leaned forward, his fingers twisting in the soft fabric of the loose scrub pants he wore. “I-I couldn’t h-handle what happened in the t-tower, like the r-rest of you could. …I was in charge and was s-supposed to have protected everyone on my team then, but I was the only one that made it out alive... And now I’m still useless while I’m in here, I let Onee-chan and everyone else down... I d-don’t know why all of you keep wasting your time on me. I-I’m nothing but a burden like this…”

“…I see…” murmured Ginoza after Hinakawa had been silent for several minutes. Shifting in his chair Ginoza folded his arms across his chest ducking his head slightly in an attempt to meet Hinakawa’s lowered gaze. “…For the record, you’re mistaken. It wouldn’t have been better.”

A somewhat uncharacteristic rush of petulance surged through Hinakawa, momentarily pushing aside his fatigue and usual shyness to enable a sharpened retort, in spite of the slight stutter that accompanied it. “…H-how would you know a-anything!?” muttered Hinakawa as he looked away, his brows drawn as his lips pressed tightly together.

“To think that it would have been better if you had died?” stated Ginoza his tautly spoken words providing no understatement or sugar coating to the stark harshness of the idea. Ginoza’s lips thinned as he pressed them together while he seemed to have a brief internal debate with himself, at last letting out a breath before continuing. “…Let me tell you about something…”

Gradually the story came out, marked by hesitations and pauses at first as Ginoza verbally picked through the relevant pieces of his narrative. It had first began after Sasayama’s death and Kogami’s demotion, a quiet, internal nagging of _‘…Maybe it would better if-…’ or ‘Perhaps Kogami and the others would be happier if-…’_ , during moments when Ginoza had been frustrated and beyond exhausted. A thought he had been too tired to ignore completely for a while, but had found fading again as time passed. Later the nagging had returned with Kagari’s disappearance, which acted as a reminder of Ginoza’s past and current failures by once again losing someone under his command, with the suggestion growing progressively louder as everything began to go sideways. After Masaoka had died the _‘Maybe-…’_ had vanished to be replaced by a grim certainty, _‘It would have been better if-…’_.

In spite of himself Hinakawa found that he couldn’t help listening, drawn in by the contrast to the image he had held since arriving at the PSB, of the former inspector as someone who rarely seemed anything but confident and in control while he acted as Akane’s right hand. Not to mention as someone who had never been anything but satisfied with the life he was leading, especially in recent times. He turned back toward Ginoza as the other man spoke, watching him as he tried to figure out how both aspects fit together. _…If both were accurate what had happened during the elapsed time to have made the difference…_ wondered Hinakawa as he leaned forward slightly in his chair.

“W-what changed?...” asked Hinakawa before catching himself with a soft sound of embarrassment as he looked away.

A faintly amused exhalation slipped past Ginoza’s lips as he replied. “Tsunemori. …Though there were a number of other things too, of course. The passage of time and changing circumstances helped as well. …I slipped up one day and said it out loud in front of her, and after that she was the one who made the biggest difference in things… in many ways.” Ginoza shook his head at some memory he was caught up in as he spoke.

 _…Onee-chan did?..._ Hinakawa cautiously shifted his gaze back toward Ginoza studying the other man through his eyelashes and the curtain of his hair as Ginoza resumed speaking after a few minutes of silence.

“But there was more than one occasion over the years before then when I thought that it might have been better if I had been the one that died instead.” Ginoza sighed pushing his bangs back with one hand as Hinakawa continued to watch him surreptitiously, taking in the mingling of guilt, pain, and sadness that was more obvious at the moment in his senior coworker than Hinakawa had ever been aware of at any time before. Glancing sideways at Hinakawa a painful, barely there smile fought to curve Ginoza’s lips before disappearing once more as he continued after a moment. “…I suppose what I mean is that I understand, at least to an extent. …And that you aren’t alone in having felt the way you are now, any more than you’re alone in other respects as well. …It may not seem this way at the moment, but things can get better.”

While Hinakawa absorbed the new insight he had been given into the other man, Ginoza continued to sit silently for several minutes before Hinakawa heard the sound of his chair scraping across the floor as Ginoza stood. 

“…I’m afraid it’s time for me to leave. My shift is supposed to start soon.” explained Ginoza as he pushed the chair he had been sitting in back under the table as he paused with one hand resting on the back of it. 

Looking up just enough to see more than the surface of the table Hinakawa could see that Ginoza had concealed the scars that lurked below the surface of his skin in the time that had passed in silence and now appeared perfectly composed once more. After Hinakawa had nodded in acknowledgment, without actually looking up enough to meet Ginoza’s eyes, Ginoza had offered him a parting nod and smile that Hinakawa recognized as holding genuine warmth before turning to go. 

_…Things can get better…_ The phrase became something of a mantra with the way Hinakawa repeated it under his breath, turning the words Ginoza had said over in his mind, as his footsteps echoed down the hall. Hinakawa had almost managed to make himself believe it might be true by the time the sound became too quiet to hear.

Gradually Hinakawa had begun to lose his quiet resentment of the therapy sessions that rousted him from his cot, requiring him to put forth more of the energy he was just starting to feel return, in long, taxing conversations that left him exhausted once more by the time he returned to his room at the end of the day. Though he had yet to broach the subject with anyone of just what had been behind the incident that had landed him in the facility to begin with.  
_Still…,_ he thought from time to time during the moments when he would lay in bed before falling asleep or after waking in the morning, _...it’s not that bad I guess, to just talk…_

To his surprise one day, rather than being escorted to the visiting room for his usual visit with one of the others from Division One, Hinakawa was taken outside to a grassy area at the back of the building which looked as if it had recently been fenced in with high walls that towered nearly even with the tops of the trees that were scattered irregularly over the space. The trees had sets of stone benches placed parallel to each other under them, and flowering plants were placed here and there along cement paths, the whole thing looked as if it had been meant to resemble a park, though on a much smaller scale than most parks that Hinakawa had seen. Hinakawa’s escort indicated a bench under one of the trees before steering him toward it, as they drew closer Hinakawa’s steps slowed as he recognized the person who was sitting there. The staff member who was accompanying Hinakawa pushed him forward when he paused, and lingered briefly he had delivered Hinakawa, as if he was expecting Hinakawa to attempt to flee or otherwise make trouble.

Kiyoshiko looked up smiling slightly when Hinakawa’s shadow fell across her for a few moments as he moved to sit on the stone bench that was across from where she sat with Tomomi. “…I hope you didn’t mind coming out here. …I thought maybe you would enjoy getting to spend some time outside for a while.”

Shifting on the bench uneasily Hinakawa shook his head, remembering to reply out loud after a moment. “…I-I don’t mind…” he said in a quiet voice, hesitating for a moment before adding. “I was s-surprised though, …that you were here.” Hinakawa unconsciously flinched, realizing just after the words left his mouth that they sounded a bit rude, considering that Kiyoshiko had gone out of her way in taking the time to visit him.

To Hinakawa’s relief Kiyoshiko didn’t seem to have been offended or put off by his comment and instead her smile widened as she spoke.“…Akane-chan and everyone else are right in the middle of a difficult case and none of them were able to get away.” 

“Oh…?” murmured Hinakawa feeling intrigued in spite of himself as he leaned forward slightly on the bench, his eyes gaining a hint of intensity as he looked across the space between where he and Kiyoshiko sat. 

“Yes,… from what little Nobuchika has told me it sounds like the suspect is proving a bit trickier to pin down than they expected.” replied Kiyoshiko before letting the subject drop. 

As Tomomi crawled around and played in the grassy space between their feet while Hinakawa and Kiyoshiko chatted about various subjects, the conversation drifting easily from one topic to another, Hinakawa was surprised by how easy he found it to talk with Kiyoshiko in comparison to the others in Division One. He wondered if it was because of all the others she was the one who had been let down the least by his actions and subsequent departure from the PSB, or simply because this was nearly the first prolonged conversation they had had with each other, making expectations lower by the lack of familiarity.

After they had talked for a while Hinakawa mustered the courage to redirect the conversation toward something Kiyoshiko had mentioned earlier. “…W-what sort of case are the others working on? Can you tell me anything?”

“Um…” murmured Kiyoshiko frowning a bit as she seemed to study Hinakawa. “…Are you sure that you really want to get into something like that? …I doubt the details would be very pleasant.”

“I-I want to help.” said Hinakawa quietly as he nodded, the statement ringing unexpectedly true. In all the time that the others had visited and filled him in on the Division’s activities in vague detail the thought of them actually wanting, much less needing, him hadn’t crossed Hinakawa’s mind. Now though, he felt as if a part of him that had fallen dormant was re-awakening, and Hinakawa suddenly wanted to do something to help if he could.

Kiyoshiko hesitated briefly as she thought, before giving Hinakawa a hint of a grin and reaching for her phone. “I’m probably bending at least a dozen regulations doing this,… but I think that any insight you might have would be appreciated. As long as it doesn’t get out it’ll be okay,… so I’ll see if I can get someone to send over the case file for you to look at.”

While she waited for her call to be answered Kiyoshiko stood and moved a short distance away to walk back and forth near the stone benches, stretching her legs after having sat for quite some time. Meanwhile losing interest in the grass he’d been pulling up in fistfuls Tomomi’s lower lip stuck out in a pout as he whimpered, the sound threatening a full on cry when he suddenly noticed that his mother was no longer in the exact spot she had been. 

Leaning forward after a moment’s hesitation Hinakawa reached out to rest his hand on the little boy’s raven locks. “I-it’s okay,… Your mom isn’t going anywhere,… s-she’ll be right back.”  
When Hinakawa touched his head Tomomi startled, his lower lip quivering a bit as he looked the red haired man over before holding up his arms to be picked up, as if deciding to accept Hinakawa as a satisfactory source of comfort. Rising up off his seat a bit, Hinakawa picked up Tomomi settling him on his lap before wrapping an arm around him while rubbing his back gently. “I-it’s okay… it’s okay…” Hinakawa murmured quietly.

A few minutes later Kiyoshiko stepped back toward where Hinakawa and Tomomi waited, the latter still fussing now and then as he cuddled against Hinakawa with his small fingers clutching Hinakawa’s shirt. 

“Here, I’ll trade you. …He’s probably hungry.” She said as she held out her phone to Hinakawa, waiting until he’d taken it before gathering up Tomomi and returning to the bench where she’d been sitting. “…Nobuchika had walked out of the room when he answered, but Kogami-kun ended up listening in on him anyway. He told Akane-chan that you might be able to come up with something. She’s sending them over.” explained Kiyoshiko chuckling lightly, settling Tomomi on her lap as she dug in a bag on the bench next to her, taking out something for Tomomi to eat. As Kiyoshiko finished speaking her phone chimed quietly in Hinakawa’s hand and he looked down, deftly switching it to display the file as a holographic projection. 

As he scanned he file Hinakawa’s awareness of Kiyoshiko and Tomomi’s presence faded, his attention becoming caught up in the evidence and facts of the case as he tried to fit the pieces together enough to come up with whatever missing bit that was needed for the others to catch up with the criminal. Hinakawa read over several reports that the others had composed detailing the evidence and interviews they’d conducted before turning his attention to some video footage that had been captured by a street scanner near one of the crime scenes. Something about it struck Hinakawa as being off, he frowned as he backed the video up then slowed it down, squinting as he leaned to examine it more closely. Suddenly it hit Hinakawa what he had unconsciously spotted in the footage, his eyes widened as he played the video through a final time. _…This might been what Onee-chan needs…_

Hinakawa quickly tapped out a message with instructions and sent it to Shion telling her to use the instructions he’d sent to double check what Hinakawa thought he had noticed. A few minutes passed, during which Hinakawa waited with held breath, until Kiyoshiko’s phone vibrated in his hand popping up a message with Shion’s confirmation. Hinakawa clenched a fist in a gesture of victory as he hissed out a muted exclamation. A second message from Shion a moment later informed him that she was passing the information along to Akane. 

Nodding to himself Hinakawa handed the phone back to Kiyoshiko with a quiet murmur. 

“It sounded like you were able to figure something out?” asked Kiyoshiko smiling as she paused in feeding Tomomi long enough to take back the phone from Hinakawa who nodded, opening his mouth to begin explaining what he had noticed in a piece of video footage, before being interrupted by the sound of Kiyoshiko’s phone ringing.

Answering the call Kiyoshiko spoke for a moment then started to offer the phone to Hinakawa, who drew back fractionally shaking his head as he stammered out his reluctance to take over the call. Even though he’d managed so far to talk with Kiyoshiko, and help with a case, actually talking with Akane wasn’t something Hinakawa felt ready for yet. It was still too hard for him to face her after she had been one of the people present that night, and had seen him at his very worst. The thought of trying to talk with Akane now made a flush of shame rise to his cheeks.

After she had withdrawn the phone Kiyoshiko talked for a few minutes longer then ended the call, offering Hinakawa a smile. “Akane-chan said thank you, and to tell that you did a good job.” 

Hinakawa blushed, speech momentarily abandoning him as he ducked his head, a pleased feeling blossoming in his chest.

As he curled up on his cot later that night Hinakawa inhaled, taking in the scent of sunshine and fresh air that permeated his clothing, creating a contrast to the antiseptic smell that hung in the air of the facility. For the first time weeks he had done something useful today, and had felt almost like himself again. He had nearly forgotten how good it felt to actually help someone else.  
Laying there in the darkness it almost seemed Hinakawa as if a storm had passed, and that maybe the clouds had begun to part at last.

 

It was easier now for Hinakawa to talk about what happened in NONA tower during his therapy sessions, though because the incident was still secret he had to leave out all but the vaguest of details and be careful to not mention the location it had taken place or the purpose of the operation. Instead usually referring to it as a mission that had gone badly of which he was the only survivor on his assigned team. Still even after he had improved, it had taken Hinakawa a bit more time before he felt able to face Akane, Yayoi, and Shion properly. At last though he had gathered the courage both to talk about what had happened, and to start to offer an apology for what he had put them through, only to be assured by each of them almost as soon as he’d begun that no apology was needed and that they were simply happy that he was doing better. Hinakawa still wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do or what he would be allowed to do, preferably outside the rehabilitation facility, but more and more often he had been thinking about the future and what it could hold. Those thoughts had made his current visitor and the purpose behind their visit a timely one.

“…It’s starting to look like Akane might manage to get elected Chief after all. If that happens she won’t be able to run the PSB and Division One both,… so I’ll be taking over Division One. And meanwhile Gino’s planning to transfer out and lead the Rookie Division.” Kogami paused to take a breath, his penetrating gaze traveling over Hinakawa before lifting once more to meet Hinakawa’s eyes. “Which means that I’m going to need to find someone to fill the position for my Junior Inspector. How do you feel about filling the spot?”

“…W-why me?” asked Hinakawa before ducking his head, the thought crossing his mind that such a question might seem a bit rude considering the opportunity at something going beyond a mere second chance he was being offered. 

“I want someone working with me that has had experience at thinking like a detective. …You’ve got that already from the time you spent as an enforcer.” said Kogami as he leaned back in his chair, keeping one hand resting on the narrow ledge on his side of the barrier wall. “You’d have to get through the Inspector’s training still of course, but I’ve got a feeling that probably won’t be too much of a problem for you. …Besides that, Akane recommended you to me for the job.” 

Hinakawa’s breath caught and he blinked in surprise at the revelation, not quite sure how to respond while his mind was still processing the information that Akane had recommended him for such an important position. 

Kogami sat for a few minutes as Hinakawa sat lost in thought, looking as if he were expecting Hinakawa’s answer right then.“…Ah,… I’m not trying to push you into it or anything, if you need time to think it over…” backtracked Kogami rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. 

Hinakawa knew he would most likely spend a great deal of time in his next therapy sessions, and on his own time as well when he was left to roam the portions of the building that were not off limits, second guessing any decision he made regardless of what that turned out to be. While he was still not completely certain that returning to the MWPSB wouldn’t one day end up triggering another episode like the one that had resulted in his ending up in the rehabilitation facility, the idea itself of finally beginning to take his first steps toward moving forward in any direction at all, felt somehow right.

Lifting his eyes to Kogami who sat waiting for his answer Hinakawa slowly nodded, extending his hand across the slight raised barrier that stood between them, though the glass that had separated the two rooms back when Hinakawa had been recruited as an enforcer was no longer present. 

“I-I’ll do it.” Hinakawa said feeling as if he were crossing some sort of line that had once existed but was no longer present, finding that he was relieved at having made the journey and come out on the other side.

“Great.” said Kogami nodding as he shook Hinakawa’s hand, as if sealing a deal. “I’ll start putting things in motion to get you reinstated at the PSB, and put in a request for a change in status. …Meanwhile you start getting things handled on your side.” 

“O-okay.” murmured Hinakawa as he withdrew his hand nodding at Kogami in reply, managing a small smile.

**~~~~~~**

The months that followed were in Hinakawa’s opinion, when he paused to think on it, surprisingly easy and even pleasant, after the months of crippling exhaustion and numbness that he’d just gone through. It was if a storm had finally passed and the clouds had parted to reveal a landscape that had been washed clean by its intensity. Some part of him was tempted to worry that the change was a momentary fluke and unlikely to last long. The rest of Hinakawa, when he wasn’t caught up in therapy sessions and discussions with his doctors about the adjustments being made to his medication levels in between studying the materials for the courses he was required to pass to become an inspector, was starting to become cautiously optimistic that things really were getting better.

Though it didn’t happen as quickly as he had planned, since Hinakawa had eventually submitted to his doctor’s advice against passing the requirements of the inspectors training course at an accelerated pace by pushing himself past the point of exhaustion. Within five months Hinakawa had completed the training and had left the rehabilitation facility to take up residence in his old quarters at the MWPSB once more. 

His old quarters held the comfort of familiarity and Hinakawa decided that, despite his rank as an inspector, he would stay in the first place he had called home after Akane had recruited him to be an enforcer. At least for now. Having at least one aspect of his life that remained mostly the same felt reassuring, but Hinakawa’s quarters still bore small signs of change.

He no longer self-medicated, and the collection of tablets that had once decorated his bowls of rice like sprinkles were now replaced by a single container on the kitchen counter. It was marked with each day of the week, containing a single day’s dosage of his prescribed medications in each section. He was careful never to take more than the given amount. That, along with weekly therapy sessions to ensure that his medications remained at therapeutically beneficial levels and his mental state sound, completed a new routine for Hinakawa to follow going forward.

After having been allowed a few days to adjust to being back at the PSB, Hinakawa’s first day as an inspector arrived. He had just settled behind his desk at the front of the room, allowing himself a quick glance past the edge of his computer monitor to where the familiar form of Yayoi sat along with the two other enforcers newly assigned to Division One. A moment later Hinakawa dropped his gaze, trying to shake off the strangeness of being on this side of an inspector’s desk, when an alert sounded signaling an incident which required the response of CID personnel.  
Hinakawa reached for the MWPSB field jacket that was draped over the back of his chair, his fingers clenching in the blue fabric as he attempted to mask the way his hands trembled. Closing his eyes Hinakawa took a deep breath, trying to gather his resolve and remind himself that even though he was in charge once again things were unlikely to turn out like the last time he’d been placed into a position of leadership. 

_…The situation is different now, it won’t go that way this time._ thought Hinakawa as he let out the breath he was holding. _…Everyone else has said that they’re supporting me,… and Onee-chan still believes in me after everything. …I can do it. I won’t let her down._

Lifting his head as he reopened his eyes Hinakawa slid his arms into the sleeves settling the coat which bore the emblem of the MWPSB in white, along with yellow lettering at the top of the sleeves that marked him as an inspector of Division One, neatly into place with a slight tug. As he did a hand came into contact with his back in a friendly slap, wearing a startled expression Hinakawa looked over to see Kogami watching him, also wearing a blue inspector’s field jacket. The other man’s lips curled in a subtle smile as he nodded toward the door of the squad room through which the rest of their team had already departed. 

“Come on, that’s us.” said Kogami stepping out from behind his desk as he glanced back over his shoulder at Hinakawa. “You ready for this?”

“Y-yeah.” replied Hinakawa in a firm voice nodding as he started after Kogami, quickly closing the distance between them so that they both passed through the glass doors at the same time. 

He had work to do, and a mission to complete. It was time for him to administer justice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art for this story was drawn by Picatin from Gaia Online.


	15. Literary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sending letters and writing them is an old and ancient tradition between friends, lovers, and spouses in many countries. But it's not something that usually involves a level of competitiveness on the part of the writer. When Kogami, Ginoza, and their favorite authors are involved, sometimes even that can turn into a competition, even if it wasn't exactly meant to at first.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place in February 2119.**

Carefully formed raised dots lined a row of the paper in front of Nobuchika Ginoza spelling out the phrase _‘I’m like a starving man who has been given foo-…’_ in braille.

“Hey Gino, are you busy?” called Kogami as the glass paned doors slid open to admit him. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Just as Ginoza was preparing to press the final dot of the “d” into place with the stylus he was using Kogami’s voice broke into the silence that had filled the Division One squad room while everyone else was on their break. Without meaning to Ginoza pressed the stylus into the sixth cell space as he started to turn toward Kogami to tell him to wait a moment, before turning back to the work in front of him and hastily lifting the tool, hoping that he hadn’t actually pressed hard enough to have left a mark on the page.  
Ginoza clicked his tongue in mild frustration as he looked down at the error that had transformed the final word into nonsense, and pulled the sheet of paper from the slate before crumpling it up as Kogami crossed the room toward Ginoza, pausing along the way to pick up a crumpled sheet that had missed the wastebasket and rolled a few feet away. 

Kogami tugged lightly at the paper in his hand causing it to unfurl, and he looked down at it as he crossed the final steps to Ginoza’s desk, coming to a stop behind the ponytailed enforcer.

“So what are you working on here anyway?” asked Kogami as he picked up a second page, smoothing it out enough to examine the few rows of raised impressions that lined the first several inches of the heavy paper.

Ginoza sighed beginning to come to the realization that he wasn’t going to get much further as long as Kogami was present, and unoccupied with something else, since Kogami would continue distracting him. “If you must know,... I’m attempting to write a letter. It was an idea I had while I was making plans for Kiyoshiko and I’s first anniversary next week. …Which by the way is yours and Tsunemori’s as well, unless you’ve forgotten that?”

Ginoza glanced over at Kogami in time to catch the faint twitch that indicated the other man was probably lucky that Ginoza was there to remind him. Though Ginoza supposed it wasn’t terribly surprising that such a detail had slipped Kogami’s mind considering his nature, and that they had all been a bit busier than usual with everyone in the Division putting in extra hours, to make up for Hinakawa’s temporary absence.

“You’re writing her a letter for your anniversary?” asked Kogami lowering the page he was holding as he looked back at Ginoza curiously. 

“…Among other things,… yes.” retorted Ginoza pulling the sheets of paper from Kogami’s loose grip and crumpling them slightly once more before setting them aside. “Perhaps you should think of doing something similar for Tsunemori… Though there is still time for you to come up with some other gift if you had another idea in mind already.”

Kogami shook his head moving toward his desk to pull out the chair that was there and reposition it so that he could work on the surface that extended along one side of it at an angle to the computer monitor, which happened to place him facing Ginoza once Kogami had sat down. “…A letter sounds good. Hand me some of the paper you’ve got there.” 

Half turning Ginoza shuffled through the shuffled through the small, slightly disorganized, pile of paper that lay atop his workstation’s keyboard, withdrawing several sheets of normal paper to hand over the desks between them to Kogami. 

Once Kogami had taken the paper from him Ginoza watched for a few minutes as Kogami shuffled things around on his desk briefly, making extra room to work in, before locating a pen and finally settling in to write. Deciding that Kogami was sufficiently occupied now Ginoza turned his attention back to working on his own letter. Writing it was a task that Ginoza was discovering, even with the cheat sheet occupying the screen of the tablet at his elbow, required the majority of his attention and that he not be bothered by distractions like those that had already caused errors that had rendered his first two attempts unusable.

The sound of Kogami’s pen scratching across the paper as he worked gradually slowed, and Ginoza could hear him mutter under his breath to himself before crumpling up the first sheet of paper. It was replaced by the steady tapping of one end of the pen against the surface of the desk as Kogami stared off into space his brows lightly furrowed in a frown as he thought. 

The tapping continued for several minutes, long enough for Ginoza to consciously begin attempting to block out the sound, before Kogami straightened in his chair to look up at Ginoza. “…What are you putting in your letter anyway?”

Ignoring Kogami for the moment Ginoza carefully finished the line of braille he was forming using the slate and stylus in front of him, using the time to conceal his hesitation as he debated with himself. While he wasn’t enthusiastic about sharing the normally private contents of his letter, having a second opinion before he could make a fool of himself wasn’t without appeal, especially considering that Kogami was usually far more eloquent than Ginoza had ever felt he himself was. Letting out a breath in a sigh Ginoza set the stylus down, shifting his gaze to his tablet as he reached out to change the script on it back to ordinary writing before handing the device over to Kogami. 

Kogami’s eyes skimmed over the words as he scrolled down a bit as Ginoza waited with barely hidden impatience and embarrassment, until the other man abruptly let out a laugh looking back up to meet Ginoza’s eyes over the edge of the tablet. “…‘Everything I know, I know because of-…‘, ‘…I have nothing but you-…’. Gino did you really-… Is this actually Tolstoy in here?” 

Ginoza felt heat rising up his neck as he shot a glare at Kogami. “…So what if it is?...” 

Kogami shook his head as he slid the tablet back toward Ginoza. “…You know there’s not too many people that would find ancient and depressing Russian writers worth their time, much less find them romantic...”

“…As if the books you read are somehow better…” snorted Ginoza as he picked up the tablet, returning it to its former place on his desk before tapping at the screen with one hand, the majority of his attention still on Kogami. “They might be slightly less old, but their contents are scarcely romantic literature.”

A spark flickered to life in Kogami’s eyes as he smirked in response. “…Is that a challenge?”

“How on earth do you get the idea that my statement about the things you read was meant as some sort of suggestion or attempt at turning this into a challenge?” Ginoza raised a bewildered eyebrow at Kogami, giving him what he hoped was a discouraging look.

Kogami leaned back in his chair, lowering his chin slightly as he folded his arms across his chest, the glint in his eyes turning positively mischievous. “Sounded like one to me.” 

“…You’re incorrigible…” muttered Ginoza under his breath as he rolled his eyes minutely. “Fine then. …Tsunemori and Kiyoshiko will decide which one is best afterwards,… and they have to be written using quotes from fiction.”

“…You’re on.” said Kogami baring his teeth in a fierce grin as he turned his attention back to the paper in front of him with visible intensity. 

Not wanting to be outdone now that he had been goaded into this somewhat ridiculous contest, Ginoza did the same, trying to ensure that he would make no further mistakes with the braille lettering of what he was writing, in order to be certain of finishing his own letter by the time that Kogami was done. 

Ginoza had successfully finished producing more than half of his letter in braille, and a considerable pile of crumpled papers had grown around where Kogami was working as the other man changed his mind about what he wanted to put to paper, by the time that the sensation of something small but light ricocheting off the back of his bent head interrupted Ginoza once more. 

Ginoza tensed, taking the time to finish forming the letter he was currently on before looking up. “…What is it Kogami?” bit out Ginoza his eyes narrowing fractionally in annoyance as he looked over at Kogami.

“Are you done yet?” asked Kogami letting his pen fall before leaning forward to rest his forearms on the edge of his desk.

“I would be if I were able to keep working without being interrupted.” replied Ginoza his tone coming out a bit harsher than he had intended. Taking a breath Ginoza closed his eyes momentarily before continuing. “Have you finished already?” 

Kogami shook his head his fingers moving to gather up his pen as he leaned back once more. “…It’s turning out to be harder than I thought come up with something like this.” He murmured mostly under his breath before shooting Ginoza a roguish smirk. “You just worry about your own letter though Gino.” 

Ginoza snorted returning Kogami’s smirk with a subtler one, as both he and Kogami went back to their writing.

Kogami’s pen had fallen silent and had been so for several minutes, long enough that Ginoza had just finished the final sentence in his letter, before another wadded up ball of paper flew into the edge of his vision, bouncing off Ginoza’s wrist before tumbling out of sight off the edge of his desk. 

This time Ginoza simply sighed, looking up from his letter to stare silently at Kogami, waiting until he spoke.

“Hey Gino, about why I wanted to talk to you, …Have you decided yet what you’re going to do about things now that there are going to be a couple of vacant inspector’s seats here in Division One? Are you still thinking about taking charge of supervising and training all the new rookies we’ll be getting instead?” asked Kogami looking over at Ginoza from the corner of his eye as he lit a cigarette in what seemed almost like a studied attempt at casualness.

Ginoza pressed his lips into a thin line, finding himself a bit reluctant to meet Kogami’s gaze in return, as he tried to formulate his reasoning into words while speaking. “Things are going to keep getting worse for a while now that everyone else is finding out that the Sybil System isn’t being used anymore. Division One is the best that the PSB has, which means that everyone in it will be placed at the forefront for the most difficult, risky, and dangerous cases. …It’s unlikely that anyone would think it wise to send rookies to work on much beyond relatively routine cases, at least not without back-up from another Division.” began Ginoza his brows beginning to knit as he continued speaking. “If something happens to the rest of you,… something that I could have done something about if I had been here,… I’m not sure what I’d do but-…”

“…But you’ve got more to think about now than just us.” said Kogami finishing Ginoza’s sentence for him. 

Letting out a breath Ginoza nodded, forcing his fingers to uncurl as they rested on the surface of his desk. “And it means that I can’t be on the frontlines putting myself out and in danger so often, not anymore. …I know what it feels like, to not have a father there when you’re growing up, to think that there might have been something else that was more important to him that took him away. I never want there to be a reason for Tomomi feel that way-…”

“I get it Gino. …I do.” interrupted Kogami a faint, wistful smile touching his lips for a moment as he continued. “You’re right, …but it still would have been great if we could have both been in charge here. Like the old days.”

Ginoza hummed quietly in agreement, relieved that Kogami still understood him so well, even after all the years that had passed. Looking up he offered Kogami a grateful smile before his gaze fell on the balled up sheets of paper that littered both his, and mostly, Kogami’s desks. Stretching out a hand Ginoza plucked up one that had rolled from the pile surrounding Kogami and onto the edge of his own desk lobbing it toward Kogami with a bemused huff, in an echo of the other man’s earlier actions. 

The wad of paper bounced off Kogami’s shoulder spinning back toward Ginoza for a moment as it fell before catching on the edge of Kogami’s desk which changed the ball’s direction and sent it spiraling toward the floor where it disappeared behind a box of case files. 

Letting out a low laugh Kogami held Ginoza’s gaze for a moment before he abruptly pushed his chair back to gain more room as he snatched a couple of the crumpled balls from the pile on his desk to return fire. 

Ginoza raised a hand to ward off the paper wads that Kogami threw at him, though at least one of Kogami’s shots still managed hit their target, while sweeping an arm across the desk to gather up as many of the balls of paper as he could before rolling backward in his chair. Once he had moved past the desks and into the aisle between them, Ginoza swiveled to face Kogami fully as he launched the crumpled balls after another at the other man. 

At first Kogami tried to block or doge Ginoza’s attacks, but then changed his tactics as he had already run out of ammunition, having only grabbed a few wadded up papers before moving away from where they had been piled. Instead Kogami rose from his chair and now turned his attention to gathering up the fallen balls flipping them back at Ginoza before moving quickly toward the next closest one. Darting back toward his desk Kogami thrust his hand into the box where some of his case files were piled, knocking the barely stable stack over in his haste and sending the files sliding across the floor when he dug out the wadded up paper that had fallen there earlier. 

By now both Ginoza and Kogami were laughing and tossing remarks and jabs at each other along with the crumpled up papers, as they moved around between the desks picking up whatever previously thrown ball was closest. 

Ginoza ducked out of the way, his chair rolling back across the aisle, as Kogami scooped up another piece of crumpled paper from the floor throwing it over handed toward where Ginoza was moving away from his desk after having retrieved another wad of paper from where it had rolled under the computer terminal. Just as Kogami launched the crumpled wad of paper at Ginoza, the door to the squad room slid open with a soft sound, and the wadded up paper sailed toward the opening as it overshot Ginoza when he ducked out of the way.

A startled cry followed its flight, the crumpled ball having narrowly missed hitting Akane, while still passing close enough to brush past her hair and cheek. The sound of her exclamation caused both men to pause in their battle, turning guiltily toward the door as Akane and Kiyoshiko stepped the rest of the way through it.

Akane’s gaze swept the room, taking in the scattered balls of paper that adorned the floor and desks, littered among the mess made when the two men had managed to knock over a pile of Kogami’s case files, and a couple of the puzzle games from Hinakawa’s desk while trying to beat each other toward the nearest piece of ammunition. “What happened in here? ...Just what have you been doing?”

Glancing around the room Ginoza felt a rush of mortification sweep through him as he looked away once more unable to meet either woman’s eyes, though he noted that Kogami had the grace to look appropriately embarrassed as well, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he apologized.

“It’s okay. It startled me, but it pretty much missed hitting me really.” said Akane shaking her head as she waved a hand, brushing off Kogami’s apology. “What I still want to know though is what started all… this.” Akane finished gesturing at the room to clarify what she meant by ‘this’.  
“…Well…” began Kogami glancing over at Ginoza, who had returned to his desk and was trying to unobtrusively clean up a bit of the mess, before he had felt Kogami’s eyes on him and looked up to meet the other man’s gaze. 

Sighing as he tried to ignore the heat that lingered in his face Ginoza dropped the crumpled bits of paper he had retrieved into a waste basket before picking up the explanation. “I was attempting to write a letter… and doing so somehow turned into a competition. …Things… sort of escalated from there.” 

“I see…” murmured Akane still sounding confused as she looked from Kogami to Ginoza and back before finally settling her attention on Ginoza seeming to have decided to start with the simplest of her questions first. “…Why were you writing a letter Ginoza-san?” 

Picking up the sheets of heavier paper that his letter had been written on Ginoza walked over to Kiyoshiko offering them to her as he explained. “…This was meant as a gift for our anniversary next week but… since you already more or less know about it, there’s no reason not to let you see it now.” After a moment Ginoza heard Kogami gathering up his own letter from his desk and beginning to make his way over, and added. “…Kogami has one for you as well Tsunemori.”

“Oh.” murmured Akane turning toward Kogami as he approached, reaching out to take the letter that was handed to her as a delicate blush painted her features when Kogami bent to kiss her forehead before releasing his hold on the folded sheets of paper. 

“Go on,… read it.” urged Kogami with a nod after he’d returned to his chair when Akane hesitated after unfolding her letter, looking over the edge of the paper at him. 

Nodding in reply Akane lowered her eyes to the paper reading it silently, pausing now and then to smile at some line or phrase that caught her attention, at other times her lips moved to soundlessly repeat the words as she read them. 

Kogami watched as Akane’s mouth formed the words of the line she was currently on. _‘You made me feel whole… I think all of us are born with a hole in our hearts, and we go around looking for the person who can fill it. …You fill me up.’_

When Akane looked up a moment later her eyes glittered and she stepped quickly toward Kogami wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips to his. Chuckling quietly Kogami put his arms around Akane’s waist as he tilted his head back to more comfortably return her kisses. After a bit Akane pulled back to catch her breath, settling her hands on Kogami’s shoulders as she rested her forehead against his.  
“…I love you.” Akane whispered quietly, drawing a gentle smile from Kogami in response.

Meanwhile Kiyoshiko had spread her letter over her upraised palm before beginning to run her fingertips along the raised dots that covered the heavy paper. 

Ginoza lingered anxiously next to Kiyoshiko his gaze moving back and forth between her hand as it moved across the pages and her face watching her expression intently. As her fingers reached the end of the last line Kiyoshiko turned toward where Ginoza stood at her side reaching out to touch his glove covered hand.

“So which one is best?” asked Kogami, having turned his attention from Akane with enough time to notice when Kiyoshiko had finished reading, speaking up before either Ginoza or Kiyoshiko had a chance to say anything.

“Hmm…?” murmured Kiyoshiko tilting her head slightly as she turned toward the sound of Kogami’s voice.

Just as Kiyoshiko spoke, Akane voiced her own confusion with a quiet. “…What do you mean?” 

“…That was sort of what started the competition after Kogami had noticed what I was doing.” sighed Ginoza glancing over at Kogami briefly as he folded his arms across his chest with a faint air of annoyance. “…The two of you were to make the decision as to which of the letters was better.” 

“I see…” Akane pursed her lips for a moment, her brow wrinkling in a faint frown before she finally said something, though from her expression Akane’s words may not have been exactly what some part of her wanted to say. “There’s one problem with that though, that both of you overlooked.” 

“Overlooked…?” echoed Kogami looking from Akane to Kiyoshiko and back as he waited for an explanation.

“…Akane-chan wouldn’t really be able to read my letter at all to compare, and it wouldn’t be very easy for me to read the letter Kogami-kun wrote either apart from someone else reading it to me.” said Kiyoshiko half turning the paper her letter had been written on to display the raised dots on it momentarily as she spoke.

Akane nodded in agreement with Kiyoshiko before looking back toward Kogami with a small smile. “…Besides… I think it’s better this way. Since the letters were meant for us individually, they wouldn’t mean as much to someone else.” 

“…Yeah, I guess so.” agreed Kogami not sounding terribly disappointed about it as he tugged Akane down to sit on his lap, in spite of the fact that the proposed contest had begun mostly at his insistence. 

After a few minutes Ginoza spoke studying Kiyoshiko with a slight frown. “…You did think that it was good though? You liked it?” he asked with the faintest hint of a worried tone. 

“I did. …I love you Nobuchika.” said Kiyoshiko smiling up at Ginoza as she reached up to stroke Ginoza’s hair and run her fingers through his ponytail before cupping his cheek looking as if she were studying him for a moment. “…Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow.” 

A faint hint of a smile touched Ginoza’s lips, reflecting more strongly in his eyes, before he bent his head to kiss her knuckles as he murmured quietly. “…If you love me as you say you do, then you have made it so that I am at peace.” 

Kiyoshiko laughed softly lacing her fingers with Ginoza’s as she leaned closer tucking her head into his shoulder and allowing Ginoza to rest his cheek on her hair. 

Looking away from the pair after a moment Akane looked over at Kogami with a slight frown, leaning toward him a bit as she murmured softly. “Shinya… What was that?” 

Kogami snorted shaking his head as he continued looking over at Ginoza and Kiyoshiko for a moment longer before replying. “…Tolstoy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quotes used in Ginoza’s letter are all from Leo Tolstoy, and appear in the following works: Anna Karenina (1,3), War and Peace (2).  
> The quote from Kogami’s letter is by Stephen King and appears in The Wolves of the Calla.  
> Kiyoshiko’s last statement is a line from Tolstoy’s novel Childhood, and Ginoza’s response paraphrases a line from Anna Karenina.


	16. Maple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer is a time when families travel and go on vacations, to places both distant and nearby. The Ginoza family is no exception. And with some cities in Japan, such as Osaka, becoming popular tourist destinations since the fall of the Sybil System there's no better time for a weekend trip.
> 
> **This story takes place in July 2120.**

With the rise of the Sybil System the people of Japan had moved inward, relocating inland toward larger and more populated areas, leaving more rural cites behind. Now in the nearly two years since the public announcement of the end of the System’s use, Japan’s citizens had begun spreading out once more, leading to the revitalization of older cites that had fallen into decline, and a renewed interest in the cultural practices and traditions of Japan’s history.   
Osaka had in the distant past been a hub for cuisine and the arts and was currently enjoying a resurgence based on that portion of its past, transforming it into an increasingly popular tourist destination. In particular the culinary part was receiving an unexpected amount of interest, given that in the current times few people ate food that had not been made by auto-server units using hyper-oats. Even from within nearby cities in Japan, there were people and families who traveled to Osaka for weekend vacations with growing frequency.

 

Standing at the edge of the play area Ginoza looked away from where Tomomi was playing with a couple of other kids for a moment, to the nearby market stall where a crowd had gathered to watch a cooking demonstration that was being put on.   
From where he stood Ginoza could see Kiyoshiko engaged in animated conversation with the chef who was giving the demonstration, and had allowed her to work beside him at the griddle behind the counter while he explained what he was doing, in order for her to get a clearer idea of the process.

Looking down as Tomomi wandered back over to him Ginoza lifted Tomomi from the ground, balancing Tomomi’s weight in one arm with his legs around Ginoza’s waist, while shifting so that Tomomi could better see the market stall Kiyoshiko was at as he spoke. “It looks like your mom is getting some ideas for new things to cook for us.” said Ginoza smiling as he ruffled Tomomi’s hair with his free hand. 

“Yummy.” agreed Tomomi nodding before turning his head to watch a light display near the stall where Kiyoshiko was briefly, then wiggling to be put down again as his newfound playmates called for him to return. 

Ginoza chuckled lightly watching as Tomomi ran toward the other children the moment his feet touched the ground. “…Yes,… I’m sure it will be ‘yummy’.” murmured Ginoza to himself, tucking his hands into his pockets while he continued watching as the kids resumed their game. 

A little while later Ginoza turned at the sound of his name being called finding Kiyoshiko coming toward him, as he called out to her in response, with a bag draped over her elbow and a small container with half a dozen small round objects inside in one hand. 

Kiyoshiko was smiling widely, her face slightly flushed from the heat of the grill she had been working over, as she held out a ball shaped piece of dough covered in sauce and speared on a toothpick out to him. “…Here, try this.” 

Lowering his head slightly to receive the offered food Ginoza breathed out for a moment around the piece of takoyaki after it was placed in his mouth, finding it still rather hot from being freshly made.   
“It’s good.” He said finally as he wiped at a bit of sauce that remained at the corner of his mouth, after having chewed and swallowed. 

“Good, I’m glad they turned out well. …And that you like them.” replied Kiyoshiko nodding, her smile softening a bit as she continued looking up at Ginoza.

A smile curved the corner of Ginoza’s mouth at Kiyoshiko’s comment. “…Well, I do generally like the things you make.” 

Kiyoshiko laughed as she jabbed another piece of takoyaki with the toothpick before holding it up once more. “…Still-…” began Kiyoshiko as Ginoza started to lean down to take the offered takoyaki.

A tug on both of their pant legs was accompanied by Tomomi’s shout of “Mommy, bite!” interrupting whatever might have been said as both Ginoza and Kiyoshiko looked down in response.

Giving Ginoza a slightly apologetic smile Kiyoshiko knelt down, blowing a bit on the piece of takoyaki to cool it before giving it to Tomomi. 

Tomomi hummed in approval as he ate, his eyes widening as he took in the new flavors for a few moments before turning his attention toward something that seemed to have caught his eye earlier. “Yummy… Over there.” he said pointing as he tugged at Kiyoshiko’s sleeve. 

Kiyoshiko laughed handing the container of takoyaki up to Ginoza as she took hold of Tomomi’s hand before getting to her feet. “Okay,… show me what you saw that looked yummy.” 

Tomomi pointed with his free hand, leaning against Kiyoshiko’s grip as he started away as quickly as he was able from the play area and toward one of the stores. 

“Slow down.” said Kiyoshiko glancing back for a moment toward Ginoza before refocusing her attention on Tomomi. “You have to hold onto my hand.” 

Ginoza followed Kiyoshiko and Tomomi as they crossed the market toward the food that Tomomi had spotted, snacking on the remaining takoyaki while he watched as Kiyoshiko and Tomomi exclaimed and chattered over the treats there. 

After exploring the vast and varied selection of foods that the city offered Ginoza, Kiyoshiko, and Tomomi had ended up at the beach for a picnic style lunch as they dined on the purchases they had made in the marketplace. Once they had finished eating and packed away the left overs the three of them had wandered to the edge of the beach to play in the waves that rolled ashore. Then later after Tomomi had napped for a while, Ginoza and Tomomi had built a sandcastle, their efforts accompanied murmured comments from Ginoza about “Kogami not destroying this one” while Kiyoshiko sat on the edge of the spread out picnic blanket listening and at one point being called over to help, until Tomomi had tired of the activity. 

Now as the sun was beginning to set Tomomi lay sprawled out on the blanket, already fast asleep as the day full of activities and time in the sun had more than worn out the two year old boy. Within arm’s reach Kiyoshiko sat on the edge of the picnic blanket with her bare feet tucked into the sand. She turned her head toward where Tomomi lay, running her fingers gently through his inky black hair with a small wistful smile.   
“…He’s growing up so fast.” murmured Kiyoshiko quietly as she continued stroking Tomomi’s hair. “…A part of me is starting to miss when he was still small already.”

“Hmm.” Behind Kiyoshiko Ginoza shifted to sit up, sliding his feet into the sand on either side of Kiyoshiko’s as he wrapped his arms around her waist, guiding her to lean back against him. After a long silence, during which he thought about exactly what he wanted to say and how the suggestion might be received, Ginoza let out a breath as he rested his chin on Kiyoshiko’s shoulder his cheek against the side of her head. “…We could try to have another,… if you wanted.” he said softly as he laced fingers together with those of Kiyoshiko’s free hand, settling their arms across her abdomen. 

Kiyoshiko’s other hand stopped, lifting from Tomomi’s hair as she twisted in Ginoza’s arms to look toward him in surprise. “Should we…? …We’re both beginning to get older now Nobuchika.” 

Ginoza hummed quietly once more, making a statement to the effect that no one would be able to tell from looking at Kiyoshiko, drawing a soft laugh and an affectionate shove from her in response. Pulling her back to lean against him again as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with his prosthetic hand, Ginoza angled his head so he could look over at Kiyoshiko. “…All the more reason to act while we still have time. …Both of us grew up alone as children, without any real companionship from someone our own age. …In the future, especially depending on what it may hold if more becomes known about the Sybil System, maybe it would be a good thing for Tomomi to have someone that can share and understand his circumstances.” 

“…But do **you** want to…? To have another child?” asked Kiyoshiko placing a subtle emphasis on the you, as she spoke after a moment’s hesitation seeming to be studying Ginoza with a hint of uncertainty. 

Instead of replying at first Ginoza looked over at Tomomi reaching out to rest his hand on Tomomi’s back watching for a few minutes as it gently rose and fell under his touch. A quiet smile curved Ginoza’s lips as his eyes softened further. “…If we did, I wouldn’t mind.” He murmured, rubbing his thumb across Tomomi’s shoulder. “…Would you?”

Kiyoshiko shook her head pulling her feet from the sand to turn and face Ginoza, resting her cheek on his shoulder as she wrapped one arm around his waist. “No. …I would love if we did…”

“Then shall we try?” asked Ginoza lifting his hand from Tomomi’s sleeping form to lace his fingers with Kiyoshiko’s as he looked back at her. 

Kiyoshiko lifted her head as she straightened, cupping Ginoza’s cheek with one hand as she seemed to be trying to gauge if he were truly certain. Ginoza nodded minutely in confirmation after a few moments knowing that she would be able to feel the movement. A brilliant smile spread across Kiyoshiko’s face in response, just visible in the fading sunlight. “Okay.”

A light chuckle escaped Ginoza as he hugged Kiyoshiko tightly lowering his forehead to rest against hers for a moment before catching her lips in a kiss. 

By the time they separated a few minutes later, the sun had already sank below the horizon and stars were beginning to appear in the sky. Ginoza ran his fingers through Kiyoshiko’s hair a final time before disentangling himself, reaching out to brush the sand from his and Kiyoshiko’s feet so that they could put on their shoes, as he spoke. “It’s getting late. We should go back now,… otherwise we’ll be too tired in the morning. …Can you carry Tomomi? I’ll get everything else.”

Kiyoshiko nodded as she rose to her knees after putting on her shoes, gently lifting Tomomi from the blanket to avoid disturbing his sleep, as Ginoza began gathering up what hadn’t already been packed away. Once Kiyoshiko had stood with Tomomi and started toward where they had left the car parked, Ginoza picked up the blanket, shaking the sand out of it briefly before folding it up enough to drape it over his arm as he moved to follow.

 

At Tennōji Park the next morning Ginoza moved from one portion of greenery to the next, trailed by Kiyoshiko who was carrying Tomomi, pausing now and then to crouch down and more closely examine some rare example of flora. 

As they walked under a cluster of plum trees Tomomi stretched his arms over his head, straining his fingers toward the falling blossoms that were drifting downward. 

“...Be careful.” murmured Kiyoshiko softly as she shifted her grip on Tomomi, moving one hand upward along his body to make sure that Tomomi wouldn’t accidently overbalance himself enough to fall. “What are you reaching for, hmm?” Kiyoshiko asked as she tipped her head back to look upward toward Tomomi. 

“F’owers…” said Tomomi his green brown eyes wide as he strained upward again, his fingers nearly managing to brush the lowest hanging edges of the tree’s leaves. “…White f’owers.”

Kiyoshiko stretched up a hand as well, running her fingers along the branch until they encountered a cluster of leaves and blossoms. Kiyoshiko’s fingertips delicately traced along the edge of a leaf before moving to graze momentarily over a blossom that had yet to fall, as she spoke. “The flowers are pretty aren’t they?” she asked while plucking the blossom, smiling as she tucked it in Tomomi’s hair near his ear.

Tomomi giggled as he reached up to touch the flower Kiyoshiko had tucked in his hair before looking over to pull a fallen blossom from where it had landed in the wavy locks of Kiyoshiko’s hair and put it by her ear instead.  
“Pretty.” echoed Tomomi nodding before wiggling in Kiyoshiko’s arms leaning toward the ground to signal that he wanted to be put down. 

Once he was on the ground Tomomi laughed as he wandered around kicking up small clouds of fallen white blossoms and occasionally tossing handfuls of the petals in the air. Before long Kiyoshiko joined in the game, laughing gently as she began scooping up handfuls of blossoms to pour them over Tomomi’s head in a shower of petals, and after he had gotten his mother to kneel down Tomomi did the same in return.

“This is amazing…” said Ginoza as he came over to where Kiyoshiko and Tomomi were playing a few minutes later, an old, somewhat worn book that he’d been carrying around since arriving at Keitaku-en open in his hand. “With the exception of some changes in the specific choices of flowers, and manipulation of the environment to make the trees bloom year round, they’ve nearly perfectly recreated the way the garden looked in 1908 when Jihei Ogawa designed it.” 

“How do you know that?” asked Kiyoshiko pausing in playing with Tomomi to look up at Ginoza curiously. 

“Ah. …From this book that your father gave me as a gift when we were married.” explained Ginoza crouching down beside Kiyoshiko as he reached out to touch the scattering of petals that adorned her hair, smiling slightly. “It contains the history of a number a famous gardens in Japan, and includes photographs or, in some cases before photography became common, art of them as well.” 

“I didn’t know he gave you something like that. …So that’s what you’ve been doing since we got here, comparing the changes now that it’s being restored.” said Kiyoshiko before smiling as she reached out to rest a hand on Ginoza’s knee. “...I’m glad you’re enjoying the garden.”

Ginoza nodded murmuring in agreement as he rested his hand atop Kiyoshiko’s chuckling lightly. “I see you and Tomomi have been enjoying the garden too. …You have flowers in your hair.”

Kiyoshiko let out an embarrassed sounding breath as she reached up to brush the flower petals from her hair and straighten it, a faint blush coming to her cheeks, before Ginoza caught her hand stopping her. 

“Don’t,…” began Ginoza releasing Kiyoshiko’s hand to cup her cheek instead, stroking it gently with his thumb as she looked up at him. “…You look beautiful.”

“Nobuchika...” murmured Kiyoshiko smiling as she leaned into Ginoza’s touch, but before she or Ginoza could say anything else they were interrupted by Tomomi returning with a fresh shower of flower petals as he pounced on Ginoza’s back.

“Up Daddy!” shouted Tomomi as he wrapped his arms tightly around Ginoza’s neck.

Ginoza let out a startled exclamation reaching back to support Tomomi’s weight with the hand that wasn’t currently occupied by a book, before sighing faintly as he complied with Tomomi’s request and got to his feet, watching as Kiyoshiko rose as well.

As soon as Ginoza was standing Tomomi reached up toward the branches once more, now able to reach them from the slightly greater height of Ginoza’s back. Tomomi grasped them long enough to shake down more petals before stretching a pointing finger toward the small waterfall that lay in another part of the garden. “Over there!”

Kiyoshiko laughed holding out her hands in a silent offer to take Ginoza’s book from him, so that his hands would be free, as she smiled. “Go on, Nobuchika…” 

Relinquishing the book to Kiyoshiko’s care with a slight smile as he reached back to lace his fingers together under Tomomi’s bottom after his hand was empty, Ginoza watched for a moment as she brushed the petals from its faded pages before he turned and headed toward the cascading water. 

After closing the book Kiyoshiko followed, coming to a stop a short distance away from where Ginoza had lowered Tomomi to the ground and was now crouched down beside him. Ginoza had one arm looped around the two year olds waist to keep him close as he told Tomomi about some of the plant life that lined the pool at the base of the waterfall. Kiyoshiko smiled to herself, listening while Ginoza and Tomomi talked.

 

The next day at MWPSB headquarters found Inspector Kogami Shinya and the rest of Division One engaged in their normal routine of duty. Kogami sat at his desk scanning through the files of several recent reports, and making notes for corrections where needed, when the glass doors of Division One’s squad room slid open with a nearly soundless hiss causing Kogami to look up from his workstation terminal at the sound.

“Hey Gino,… you’re back already.” said Kogami seeing that the doors had opened to admit Ginoza, along with Kiyoshiko and Tomomi. The latter of which were sorting through a bag that Kiyoshiko had set on the floor at her feet before crouching down to assist Tomomi in finding something inside.  
Ginoza nodded lifting his gaze from where Kiyoshiko and Tomomi were to look across the room at Kogami. “…Yes, I wanted a chance to settle in and catch up on everything before the new rookies arrive tomorrow. …And there were the souvenirs to pass out as well.” added Ginoza as Tomomi darted across the few feet to Yayoi’s desk gripping a seashell and a colored plastic bag in either hand.

“…Yaya-san.” said Tomomi holding the items up toward her as the female enforcer swiveled her chair around to face him. 

Yayoi took the items from him with her usual silent gravitas, a faint smile crossing her lips as she nodded in thanks before Tomomi turned and ran back to where the bag with the remaining souvenirs was.

“Does Akane know you’re back yet?” Asked Kogami shifting his attention back to Ginoza as he eased his chair back from his desk a bit to more easily see around the edge of his workstation’s monitor.

“…Yes. We saw her and Karanomori both already so that they could have their souvenirs.” replied Ginoza nodding.

Kogami grunted in response, looking down as Tomomi rounded the edge of his desk jumping up enough to drape his upper body over Kogami’s thigh as he held up another seashell. “Look Ko-oji! From the beach.” 

“I see that.” Kogami chuckled slightly at Tomomi’s enthusiasm as placed a hand gently on Tomomi’s back to keep him stable before taking the shell, setting it aside on his desk after admiring it for a moment. “…Where else did you go?” 

“Saw f’owers,… ‘n Mommy cooked.” said Tomomi swinging his legs slightly as he twisted his head to look up at Kogami, pausing for a moment before seeming to remember the package in his hand and holding it up. “Yummy!”

“Thanks buddy. …It sounds like you did a lot on your trip.” said Kogami ruffling Tomomi’s hair with his free hand, completely disheveling the inky bangs that were grown out nearly enough to cover part Tomomi’s forehead where they were brushed to one side, before he took the offered present from the boy. “Did you have a good time?”

Wordlessly Tomomi answered with an enthusiastic nod and huge grin, before letting his weight fall from Kogami’s leg and scurrying back across the squad room to where Ginoza and Kiyoshiko stood to retrieve the next souvenir to be passed out. His now serious expression indicated his now intent focus on the task of seeing the last of them handed out. 

“Here Hina’-san.” said Tomomi as he returned to the front of the squad room moving to stand just behind the edge of the second inspector’s desk as he thrust a package and seashell identical to the ones the others had been given in Hinakawa’s direction.

“T-thank you...” murmured Hinakawa as he was handed the next package. As he spoke Hinakawa’s gaze moved back and forth between Ginoza and Kiyoshiko to include them in the comment, while resting his hand briefly on Tomomi’s head who looked up at him with a smile. 

The rustle of plastic accompanied Kogami’s voice a moment later as he opened the top of the bag, withdrawing one of the lightly browned objects from inside. “…Just what exactly is this?” asked Kogami holding up the batter encrusted, multi-pointed shape after a moment of inspection.

“They’re a traditional snack food that is locally made in and exclusive to Osaka. One that apparently goes back hundreds of years before Sybil even.” replied Ginoza folding his arms across his chest casually as he looked across the room toward Kogami.

“…That still doesn’t explain what this is Gino.” Kogami eyed the strange snack once more before leveling a look in Ginoza’s direction. “With the shape this thing is… it kind of looks like it’s supposed to be a leaf.”

Ginoza snorted softly, a faint smirk crossing his face as he anticipated what Kogami’s reaction would likely be to what he was about to say. “That’s because it is a leaf,… a maple leaf to be precise, fried.” 

Kogami’s nose wrinkled almost imperceptibly as he looked down at the fried maple leaf in his fingers. “…Uh huh,… and you think it’s supposed to be some kind of delicacy?”

“At the very least it’s a unique local food.” chimed in Kiyoshiko finally, smiling briefly in Kogami’s direction as she continued after a moment. “…It was really interesting seeing all the traditional things that are being brought back to life in Osaka.” 

“Hmm…” murmured Kogami glancing up at Kiyoshiko for a moment before returning his attention to the snack in his hand. “…Did you actually even try them?”

The sound of rustling plastic interrupted any response that either Ginoza or Kiyoshiko might have given, followed by the soft sound of Hinakawa’s voice, drawing the attention of the others to him as he paused, blushing slightly, in the act of licking his fingers. “…Th-they’re actually pretty good. …They’re sweet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this story originally came about after I saw a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pwy-cAf09I) on social media sometime ago about fried maple leaves and almost immediately came up with the last scene in this story, with the rest of the events being added later. Though the maple leaves themselves ended up being more of a minor part of the story, I decided to keep the title I originally gave it in my notes.


	17. Float

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their return from a mission to help establish the police force of SEAUN Ginoza, Kiyoshiko, Akane and Kogami run into trouble. Lucky for them, they have each other to rely on until they can be rescued. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Story takes place in February 2121**

Looking away from the window Ginoza let out a breath as he leaned back in his seat, allowing his eyes to close for a few moments now that they were underway. For the past week he, Kiyoshiko, Akane and Kogami had been in SEAUn to offer advice and consult with the heads of the various departments of SEAUn’s police force as the country was more firmly establishing its own civilian department apart from the enforcement of law by the military it had operated with under Sybil. The week had been filled with a nearly endless stream of meetings and inspections, leaving them all a bit worn by the end of it. 

As Senior Inspector of the MWPSB’s Division Five, which was made up of rookie officers, Ginoza had spent a majority of his time offering his expertise to the officers who would be responsible for overseeing and training new recruits. The others had been equally busy, with Akane advising not only the heads of each division, but the officer who would be filling the role of chief over all the divisions, while Kogami had been assigned to help with training the current officers, and Kiyoshiko had worked with improving the personnel department’s efficiency and procedures in her capacity as a member of the MWPSB’s human resources department.

Reopening his eyes Ginoza looked over to where Kiyoshiko sat next to him, her bent head silhouetted by the light coming in through the window as she worked using a stylus and slate. Though what exactly she was writing eluded Ginoza since even though he was able to see the impressions on the heavy paper his skill at reading braille hadn’t developed enough to be able to decipher it without looking at a visual key.

Smiling slightly Ginoza brushed his fingertips across the back of Kiyoshiko’s hand causing her to pause in her writing long enough to take his hand, twining her fingers with his and giving a gentle squeeze as she returned Ginoza’s smile for a few moments before resuming her work. Across the aisle from where Ginoza and Kiyoshiko sat, Akane and Kogami conversed quietly in what seemed like a somewhat serious discussion from the expression on their faces, in spite of the way that Akane’s head was tilted to rest against Kogami’s shoulder as their joined hands rested on the arm rest between them. Overall the atmosphere was a relaxed one, enough so that Ginoza leaned his head back against his seat once more allowing his mind to drift.

Several hours passed before Ginoza was jarred back to wakefulness as the aircraft suddenly veered sharply as if in an attempt to avoid something that had moved into its path. Moments later the VTOL jolted roughly, veering once more as an automated message played through the cabin, instructing them to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts, it was a standard message for when turbulence was encountered in flight. As he heard Kiyoshiko’s concerned murmur from beside him Ginoza glanced over, squeezing her hand to reassure her. “Don’t worry,… I’m sure it’s nothing too serious. Probably some turbulence.” 

As he spoke though, Ginoza’s gaze moved toward the window just in time to see a thin trail of smoke coming up from the ground, appearing to be traveling on an arcing path toward them. The muffled sound of an explosion penetrated the interior of the VTOL as alarms begin to sound. The lighting dimmed fractionally and a shudder ran through the aircraft growing into a more violent shaking as the sound of the engine working began to filter up through the floor. After a few moments a second explosion could be heard, and the plane dropped for what felt like several feet before leveling out at it’s new, lower altitude. 

“Nobuchika…?” murmured Kiyoshiko worry evident in her voice over the continuing sound of alarms, though Ginoza barely had the chance to note it much less respond as a recorded message from the autopilot joined the racket. The VTOL dipped to one side as the shaking grew worse, along with the sound of the engine increasing above the propeller’s noise, to the point that they all were shouting to be heard.

Her eyes widening Akane looked around the cabin and out the window beside her briefly before focusing her attention toward Kogami and across the aisle to where Ginoza and Kiyoshiko were. “W-what happened?” 

“…We’ve lost a stabilizer on this side.” reported Ginoza turning his attention away from the window attempting to keep his voice relatively calm in spite of the way his grip tightened anxiously on Kiyoshiko’s hand as he continued, raising his voice to be heard above the noise of the straining engine. “Brace yourselves! We’re going to crash.” 

A sharp jolt rocked the VTOL as it hit the water with speed sending the few loose objects that were present flying around the cabin. Tensing Ginoza squeezed his eyes briefly closed at the first impact as he tightened his grip still further on Kiyoshiko’s hand where it rested on the arm rest between them. He could hear when Akane cried out as she raised a hand to shield her face from the things that were being thrown about as the transport skipped across the water’s surface, while Kogami raised one arm to pin Akane back against the seat to ensure that she wasn’t flung about herself. 

“Hang on!” shouted Kogami as the VTOL managed to do a complete flip as its speed began to slow and the force of repeated collisions with the water sheared off the remaining stabilizer. With a final bounce the transport came to a stop settling into the water at a slight angle as a portion that had been more severely damaged allowed water to begin seeping under the outer skin of the VTOL. 

“…I-is it over?” asked Akane sounding a bit breathless, after several minutes of silence had passed. As she spoke the overhead lights in the compartment flickered before going out, followed by a deep creaking groan that made the space seem to vibrate.

A soft curse punctuated the darkness in the few moments before the emergency lighting kicked in, brightening the cabin in patchy spots of light that were just enough to see by. 

“We must have taken on water somewhere, if the main electrical system shorted out.” said Ginoza as he unfastened his seatbelt and stood, holding onto the back of the seat beside him for balance as he looked around. 

Kogami grunted in response to Ginoza’s statement freeing himself from his seatbelt before standing and bending over Akane to look out the window. Behind Ginoza, Kiyoshiko had also gotten up from her seat, reaching out to touch Ginoza’s arm as she spoke. 

“But is everyone alright though?... No one was hurt?” she asked turning toward Ginoza with a slight frown before directing her attention toward where Kogami and Akane were as well. 

“Yeah, we’re fine…” muttered Kogami as Akane voiced agreement with Kogami’s statement. His tone was clearly distracted as he continued looking out the window. “…Hey Gino,… check out the window on your side too.” instructed Kogami finally turning away from the view with a frown to look across at Ginoza. “…Does it look like we’re sitting kind of low in the water to you?”

“What?” Ginoza’s expression became instantly concerned as he nudged Kiyoshiko aside with a quiet murmur in order to move past her for a better view out the window. Outside the upper edges of small waves already lapped at the lower edges of the window’s frame, seeming to creep almost imperceptibly higher as Ginoza watched. “…You’re right. The water level seems higher than it should be for no longer than we’ve been in the water.” 

“So we’re definitely sinking then, and fast too.” concluded Kogami his frown deepening. “We can’t wait for the distress beacon to get tracked and someone to get here then. We’ve got to get out now while we still can.” As he spoke Kogami stepped back into the aisle motioning Akane to her feet before starting toward the door. 

Ginoza nodded in agreement putting a hand on the back of Kiyoshiko’s shoulder as he guided her toward the door. “But where will we go from here? …This sort of situation wasn’t really anticipated, helpful supplies onboard are rather minimal.”

“I was checking on our position right before we got hit.” said Akane as she came to a stop in the open area in front of the first row of seats. “We were close enough to some of the smaller islands that we should be able to reach them if we didn’t drift too far off course after that, or are drifting now.” Akane paused for a moment her eyes going briefly to one of the windows before she shook her head and continued. “If I remember they weren’t recorded as being occupied so there won’t be any help once we’ve started trying to reach them. …I guess we probably don’t have any other choice though considering the alternative.”

“That’ll be the plan then.” said Kogami as he looked over from where he stood by the door a few steps away from where Akane, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko had gathered. “And as it is we’ll start sinking faster as soon as the door is open, so we’ll have to be ready to swim out.” After the other three nodded in reply Kogami focused his attention on Ginoza and Kiyoshiko. “You two go first, then me and Akane will follow alright? …Gino, help me with the release on the door.” 

Wordlessly Ginoza nodded, moving to stand on the other side of the door from where Kogami was. The two men pried open the panels covering the levers for the transport door’s emergency release, and on Kogami’s signal they pulled back against the levers. The door hissed softly for a moment as the hydraulics keeping it closed released, allowing an ever increasing stream of water to begin forcing its way inside the VTOL’s cabin as the water’s pressure began pushing the door open. 

Akane made an alarmed noise, moving closer to Kogami as the water level inside the cabin rose until it was lapping at her ankles within minutes, causing Kogami to glance back at her for a moment before motioning for Akane to get a hold of something that wouldn’t move. “Get ready to hold your breath. When we get those doors open the rest of the way this space is going to fill with water, and as soon as the pressure equalizes enough to keep from being swept back inside we’re going to swim out. …Whatever you do though, don’t let go.” said Kogami as he slipped his fingers of one hand into the open space of the door, taking hold of a handle near the door to anchor himself with the other. 

Working together Kogami and Ginoza pushed the door the rest of the way open aided, after the gap in it had widened to several inches across, by the pressure of the water. Once the door was open fully the ocean began to rush inward, filling the VTOL’s cabin, the force of it causing both Akane and Kiyoshiko to tighten their grips on what they were holding onto to keep from being swept away and slammed back against the back wall of the transport. Releasing his hold on the handle Kogami allowed himself to be washed backward to where Akane was, grabbing hold of the back of the seat next to the one Akane had wrapped her arms around, as Ginoza reached back to grab Kiyoshiko’s arm gritting his teeth as he strained to pull her toward himself against the force of the water. 

Within a few moments the cabin was nearly filled with water, enough that only a small layer of air remained near the ceiling. As it had filled Ginoza, Kiyoshiko, Kogami and Akane had moved upward with the water level, in order to keep their heads above water for as long as possible, but now that the pressure had nearly equalized they each drew a deep breath before sinking below the surface. Keeping a tight grip on Kiyoshiko’s hand Ginoza pushed off a nearby seat, aiming for the open doorway as he drew Kiyoshiko along with him. Drifting to a stop just outside the skin of the aircraft Ginoza squeezed Kiyoshiko’s hand before letting go as he struck out on a course toward the water’s surface.

Ginoza glanced back after he had swam a short distance away from the sinking transport to make sure that Kiyoshiko had made it out as well. Ginoza watched as she let a few bubbles of air escape from her lips to slide past her fingers in order to orient herself toward the surface before she pushed off the edge of the doorframe and began swimming, following the direction the bubbles had gone. Feeling reassured Ginoza began swimming upward knowing that Kogami and Akane would follow as well, since he could already see them preparing to go through the opening where the door had been. 

Surfacing first Ginoza gasped for air for a moment as his head broke through the water then turning to look around for the others. Kiyoshiko came up a few moments later beside him and Ginoza reached out to grab her wrist pulling her closer to him.

“Are you okay? …You didn’t get hurt did you?” asked Ginoza frowning a bit as he scanned Kiyoshiko for any sign that she might have been injured in the crash.

Kiyoshiko shook her head, her hand brushing against Ginoza’s arm as she moved her arms through the water, keeping herself afloat. “I’m fine, Nobuchika, really. …Did Akane and Kogami-kun make it out too?” 

“I don’t-…” began Ginoza before looking over as Kogami rose to the surface as well, coming up several yards away from where Ginoza and Kiyoshiko were. 

Kogami raised a hand to push his hair back from his face as he looked around, waving when he caught sight of Ginoza and Kiyoshiko before a hint of worry flashed in his eyes and he turned to check the area behind him before frowning. “Wait,… where’s Akane? She hasn’t come up yet?” asked Kogami as he looked back to Ginoza and Kiyoshiko. Receiving a negative response Kogami spat out a curse. “I lost her when we were coming out, the VTOL shifted, but I thought she was still right behind me...” he explained briefly before diving back down below the surface of the water. 

Kiyoshiko turned toward Ginoza a worried frown on her face. “Do you think he’ll be able to find her? Maybe we should go down too and try to help look…” 

Ginoza shook his head. “No. …At least you should stay up here. If Kogami isn’t back in a minute I’ll go down.” 

A loud gasp interrupted whatever Kiyoshiko might have said, behind them Kogami had resurfaced once more this time with Akane. Kogami’s gaze snapped to Ginoza as he spoke quickly, being sure to keep Akane’s head above water. “Gino, get me something to lay her on! I don’t know how much water she might have swallowed but she’s not breathing.” 

Drawing a sharp breath as his eyes widened at Kogami’s words Ginoza cast his gaze around until he spotted a bit of paneling from the transport that had broken off in the crash and swam quickly toward it, meeting Kogami part way with the sheet of metal that was just large enough to accommodate Akane’s body though it still left her legs hanging off the edge. 

Kiyoshiko followed in Ginoza’s wake as he brought the make-shift raft over to Kogami and reached out to help Ginoza hold the panel steady as Kogami hoisted Akane onto it before he started to climb on as well. The sheet of metal started to sink under Kogami’s weight, in spite of Ginoza and Kiyoshiko’s efforts to keep it afloat, before he had even fully gotten onto it.

“Ko, stop! You’re too heavy” ordered Ginoza stretching out a hand briefly to stop Kogami from climbing on any further. A frustrated growl escaped Kogami as he shot Ginoza a look, hesitating for a moment before dropping back into the water. 

As she felt Kogami’s weight shift off the floating panel, Kiyoshiko moved to pull herself up on it instead. “Let me. I’m lighter.” She said as she worked her way across Akane’s body until she was straddling the other woman’s hips with her knees resting at the very edges of the metal sheet on either side of Akane. Quickly checking to make sure Akane’s airway was clear Kiyoshiko began working to clear any water Akane might have swallowed from her lungs and get her breathing again. After Kiyoshiko had worked for a few minutes Akane suddenly tensed, turning her head to one side just in time to cough up a mouthful of seawater, before her eyes snapped open as she gasped loudly taking an audible gulp of air. 

As Kiyoshiko backed off as much as possible in the narrow space available, Akane curled onto her side at the edge of the metal sheet, coughing a few times before bringing up the rest of the water she’d swallowed along with what remained in her stomach. Kiyoshiko’s nose wrinkled as she paled a bit in reaction though she reached out a hand to rub Akane’s back soothingly as Akane tried to catch her breath once more afterwards.

“…What,… happened?” murmured Akane still sounding a bit breathless, once her stomach had settled enough for her to slump down to lay on her side with her head pillowed on an arm while she tried to reorient herself. 

“The transport crashed, remember?” explained Kogami rubbing his thumb across the knuckles of Akane’s hand as he spoke having released his hold on the make shift raft the moment it was no longer threatening to capsize under Akane and Kiyoshiko’s movements, prevented from doing so by his and Ginoza’s efforts to keep it steady, to take hold of Akane’s hand. “…I lost you when we were getting out.” Kogami took a breath his brows knitting in a frown as he studied Akane. “Are you okay?”

“Oh. …I think so…” murmured Akane carefully nodding before glancing over as Kiyoshiko slipped back into the water beside Ginoza. Sitting up Akane moved to do likewise on the other side of the panel, and found her action stilled by Kogami’s hand moving to her shoulder. 

Kogami shook his head as Akane returned her attention to him with an uncertain frown. “…You almost drowned, Akane. Just stay put for now.” 

“But-…” began Akane in protest as she attempted to shift toward the edge of the floating metal sheet once more.

“Tsunemori,… he’s right. …It’s not that far to shore, and you should take it easy until you can be sure that you weren’t actually injured.” said Ginoza cutting off Akane’s attempt at protest. 

Sighing with an almost imperceptible hint of frustration Akane finally allowed herself to relax back down until she was sitting. Akane let her gaze move back over to Kogami as she nodded, including Ginoza in her agreement as well after a moment. “…Alright Shinya…, Ginoza-san.” 

Kogami squeezed Akane’s hand lightly in response before turning his attention toward helping to propel the makeshift float toward the shore. The combination of his effort along with Ginoza and Kiyoshiko’s made covering the distance relatively light work and before long they were close enough to the shoreline for the water’s depth to have diminished enough that it was only about chest deep. Once the level of the water decreased to waist height Akane made another attempt to slide off the metal sheet and wade the rest of the way to shore only to be swept into Kogami’s arms since he was now able to carry her the rest of the way, ignoring any protests she made about being able to walk on her own.

As Kogami set her down on the sand several yards past the edge of the waterline Akane looked over his shoulder watching as Ginoza and Kiyoshiko made their way out of the surf. Akane noticed that Ginoza seemed to be especially concerned about Kiyoshiko, even though Kiyoshiko appeared to be trying to reassure him about whatever it was, but she was unable to hear what they were saying. 

“Hey, look at me.” said Kogami drawing Akane’s attention away from Ginoza and Kiyoshiko as his fingers lightly gripped her chin, turning Akane’s face toward him. 

Akane winced as Kogami’s fingers brushed against a lump that was forming near her temple, grunting softly in pain as she pulled back from his touch. “Ouch,… that hurt.” She said before falling silent as Kogami once again reached out this time guiding Akane to tip her head back slightly, watching her with an intent expression before letting out a relieved sounding breath. 

“That’s something at least…” began Kogami before pausing as Ginoza and Kiyoshiko joined he and Akane, sinking down to sit in the sand nearby. 

“Tsunemori, are you all right?” asked Ginoza looking over to where Akane sat with a hint of a frown as he took in the scene of Kogami’s impromptu examination.

“I’m fine Ginoza-san,…” said Akane shifting her gaze to the other couple before Kogami cut in on her reply. 

“…She hit her head, but it doesn’t look like it was hard enough to give her a concussion. …Not that almost drowning because of being knocked out is that much better.” muttered Kogami before plopping down in the sand next to Akane. 

Akane made a face at Kogami in response, her cheeks puffing out slightly as she huffed before refocusing her attention. “Anyway… what about you and Kiyoshiko-chan?”

“A bit shaken… but otherwise unhurt.” said Ginoza offering a minute smile in reassurance as Kiyoshiko voiced her agreement. A moment later Ginoza continued, a frown coming to his face as he looked out over the water, where the VTOL had disappeared below the surface with only bobbing bits of debris to mark that it had been there at all. “It seems as if we’re stranded though,… How exactly do we proceed from here?”

“Well…” muttered Kogami pushing himself to his feet with a quiet grunt. “I guess we see if anything floating out there will be worth it to us to salvage. I don’t know where exactly all the damage was but if the hold got ripped open maybe some of the onboard supplies will have made it up here. It won’t be much either way but we don’t know exactly how long we’ll have to wait either.” He glanced back over his shoulder to where Ginoza sat. “…Feel like going for another swim yet Gino?”

“…Not particularly,… but that’s not really going to make a difference.” said Ginoza as he stood as well, absently brushing at the damp sand that clung to his pants. “…There’s no point in waiting.”

“Hmm.” grunted Kogami nodding in agreement. He looked over as Akane started to rise to her feet, reaching out with one hand to steady the petite woman when she swayed minutely upon standing. “…What do you think you’re doing Akane?” 

Recovering after a moment Akane tipped her head back to look up at Kogami with a determined expression. “I’m coming too of course. If we work together it won’t take long to bring whatever we find ashore.” 

Sighing Kogami shook his head at Akane’s words and rested a hand on her shoulder, his voice soft but firm. “No way,… It’s too soon for you to be taking a second run at the water. Stay here for now.” Before Akane could voice a response, Kogami shifted his focus past her as he continued. “Kiyoshiko, keep an eye on her huh?” 

Akane looked over at Kiyoshiko who nodded in response moving to rest her hand on Akane’s arm as Kogami withdrew heading toward the edge of the water with Ginoza, seemingly satisfied. 

Turning toward Akane, Kiyoshiko offered her a slight smile as she let her hand fall. “There are still things we can do here while they’re busy. If we end up stranded here overnight, we’ll need a fire and something to eat too. …It sounds like there must be some trees around here, let’s see what we can find.”

“Hmm, that’s true.” murmured Akane nodding thoughtfully. She returned Kiyoshiko’s smile before looking around, spotting a patch of green that marked the trees Kiyoshiko had mentioned a ways away and several yards past the end of the beach as the landscape turned to forest. Akane touched Kiyoshiko’s arm, grasping it lightly for a moment as she started forward, to guide the other woman in the direction they would need to go. “Come on, it looks like there’s a forest starting over that way.” 

Meanwhile in the waters off shore Ginoza and Kogami paused to catch their breath, both men resting with their arms propped on the single case of supplies which had floated to the surface that they’d managed to locate so far. 

“…So Gino,…” began Kogami looking across at the other man after pushing his soaked hair back from his forehead. “About that explosion that brought us down,… you know it probably wasn’t a malfunction, or an accident, right?” 

“Mmm, I’ve been thinking about that too.” replied Ginoza nodding slightly as a frown came to his face. “And I think you’re right. …I don’t think it was intended for any of our attention to be drawn to this… but I overheard some of the newer recruits talking amongst themselves when I was inspecting their division. …It seems as if there are some people that are wary of our involvement now. Given that the last time Japan was involved in their government the Sybil System essentially took over uncontested.”

“…Feels strange being on the opposite side of things this time.” remarked Kogami snorting softly in wry amusement. 

Ginoza grimaced at the reminder of Kogami’s stint with the rebels in SEAUn. “…Let’s hope that things don’t get that bad.” 

Kogami shot Ginoza a crooked grin as he shook his head. “Don’t worry about that Gino,… the situation here is nothing like how it was in SEAUn back then, believe me. I wouldn’t still be involved on this side of things if it was. We’re doing a good thing still, and people know that… in spite of us getting shot down like this. …You’d have to be blind not to see that Akane’s trying to do the best she can to make things better for everyone, equally.” 

“…I suppose you aren’t exactly known for your passive compliance when you disagree with something.” said Ginoza with a light scoff, rolling his eyes before returning Kogami’s smile. 

“Right?” retorted Kogami nodding. Thumping the case that their elbows were resting on Kogami motioned with his head toward the shore. “Now how about we get this thing to the beach so we can see just what’s in it, and check on how Akane and Kiyoshiko are doing. …Not to mention hopefully be dry by the time the temperature starts dropping tonight.” 

Back on land Akane and Kiyoshiko had reached the edge of the wooded area and were gathering up fallen sticks and branches that could be used to make a fire with, taking them back toward where they had come ashore. They were on their second trip back toward the woods when Akane looked over at Kiyoshiko, studying her with a faint frown. “Are you really sure you’re all right? …I was watching when you and Ginoza-san came out of the water, and it seemed like he was worried…” 

“I’m fine Akane-chan.” replied Kiyoshiko giving Akane a reassuring smile as she shook her head, falling silent for several minutes before continuing taking the aborted conversation in another direction. “…About what happened,… you don’t think we’re in any danger staying here for however long it takes Shion and the others to figure out that something went wrong? …If they even have realized that we crashed…”

“The distress beacon should have activated when we crashed,… It’s encrypted though so we shouldn’t have to worry about someone other than the others tracking us with it.” began Akane her frown becoming more apparent as she glanced down at her wristlink for a moment. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but it is actually kind of surprising to not have heard anything from Karanomori yet… She did say before that she was planning to keep tabs on us, just in case.” 

“I see…” murmured Kiyoshiko beginning to frown as well as she stopped walking to turn toward Akane. “Is the beacon actually working then?”

“I’ll check and see.” replied Akane as she keyed something into her wristlink then waited for a minute or two before trying again. “That’s strange… I’m not picking up the signal. Or putting out one either.” She added after keying in something different than the first two attempts. “I think… the communications in this area are being blacked out.”

“…What should we do?” asked Kiyoshiko becoming more visibly concerned at Akane’s statement. 

“I think for now we should go back to where we were and wait for Ginoza-san and Shinya to get back. …If we’re lucky they might have found something we can use to punch through the interference.” said Akane touching Kiyoshiko’s arm briefly as she turned to head back to the edge of the water. “…But if not we might have to get a bit, creative, to make contact with Karanomori-san.” 

Kiyoshiko wore a serious expression as she nodded and began walking back toward the beach with Akane. 

When Ginoza and Kogami returned to land with their salvaged container, they found the shoreline empty with the exception of the beginnings of a makeshift campsite.  
“Looks like we’re not the only ones that have been busy.” commented Kogami as he and Ginoza set the crate down near the piled up kindling. “…Do you see where they’ve gotten to?” 

Ginoza frowned a bit as he straightened from lowering the crate to the ground, returning to find both women absent did little aside from add to his concern over their current situation, even though there were clear indications that Kiyoshiko and Akane were simply preparing in the event it took a bit for a rescue to arrive. Looking up and down the shoreline for a few minutes Ginoza finally spotted Akane and Kiyoshiko returning from wherever they had been. 

As the women approached Akane called out to Ginoza and Kogami. “You’re back,… Were you able to find anything?” 

Kogami nodded, jabbing a thumb toward the crate sitting between he and Ginoza. “Just this. We haven’t got it open yet to see what’s in it.” 

Akane nodded moving to stand next to Kogami as he crouched down in front of the crate. “Okay,… well let’s see what it is then.” She said as she looked over Kogami’s shoulder, watching as he entered the code needed to unlock the container.

The lid released with a soft hiss as it was unsealed, allowing Kogami and Akane to push it open while Ginoza and Kiyoshiko stood nearby. Inside the small crate were a few emergency blankets, a first aid kit, some bottles of water, and lastly a pair of transponder radios. 

“These might be just what we need.” said Akane as she reached past Kogami to pick up one of the radios before looking over at Kogami and Ginoza as she explained. “Kiyoshiko and I found out that the distress beacon isn’t working, and that our communicators don’t seem to be either. I’m not sure if it’s from a jamming signal or not…”

As Akane spoke Kogami shot Ginoza a look, before glancing back to Akane long enough to include her in his comment. “…I’d say that confirms the theory Gino and I were discussing earlier. That this wasn’t an accident, and that our crash was a deliberate act.” 

“…The same thought had crossed my mind too… ” confirmed Akane nodding in agreement before Kogami continued. 

“Hmm,… but you think you’ll be able to cut through with these?” asked Kogami holding up the other transponder radio to Akane as well. 

“I think so. …Karanomori-san has shown me a couple of things, and Kunizuka-san and Hinakawa-kun have too. …It might take me a little time but I think I can figure out something that will work.” Said Akane as she took the radio that Kogami offered her, glancing down at the pair of radios for a moment before looking back up to give the others a reassuring smile.

“Okay…” said Kogami getting to his feet as he brushed drying sand off his pants. “That sounds like it means we might be here for a while then. I’ll see about getting us something to eat, …See if I can put together some sort of snare and catch something.” After receiving Akane’s agreement, Kogami looked over at Ginoza. “Wanna give me a hand Gino, with setting the traps and cleaning whatever we get?” 

“I-… think I might be put to better use staying here to assist Tsunemori with the modifications to the radios…” began Ginoza after a brief pause, something in his expression making him seem faintly ill and even a bit pale at Kogami’s suggestion. 

Kiyoshiko rested her hand on Ginoza’s arm briefly before moving away, taking a half step closer to where Kogami was. “I can help with the cleaning. … It won’t bother me, …My grandfather showed me how once….” 

“Hmm.” grunted Kogami glancing at Ginoza with a slightly raised eyebrow before reaching out to grasp Kiyoshiko’s wrist, guiding her hand to his arm. “All right, well then. …We’ll leave things here to you two. …Oh, and get a fire going if you can so we can cook the catch when we get back.” Kogami as he led Kiyoshiko away. 

Once Kiyoshiko and Kogami had gone Akane and Ginoza settled in to work on the delicate task of wiring the two transponder radios together to boost the signal they could transmit, along with setting up a connection between them and Akane’s wristlink in order to encrypt the signal to the MWPSB’s system. It took them several hours, but eventually Akane and Ginoza managed to make contact with Shion long enough to transmit their location, and need for retrieval. A short while afterward Kogami and Kiyoshiko returned with a couple of small animals and an assortment of edible plants. 

By the time that darkness finally fell the group was gathered around the fire after having eaten, and had been discussing their theories about the parties behind the crash until the subject had begun to circle back on itself fruitlessly, from lack of clues. 

“What was that you were writing earlier anyway?” asked Kogami shifting the subject of conversation, with a glance over at Kiyoshiko as he leaned back where he was sitting, interlacing his fingers behind his head. 

“Hmm…?” murmured Kiyoshiko, before blushing faintly as she understood what Kogami was referring to. “Oh that. …It was nothing important, sort of just thinking on paper a bit I guess.” 

“About what?” asked Akane, tilting her head to one side as she pulled her knees up to rest her arms across them. 

“…Well,… sort of about all of us.” Kiyoshiko’s smile turned a bit sheepish as she shook her head. “It’s a bit silly probably. ..Like I said it wasn’t really anything important.” 

“Oh?” murmured Akane raising an eyebrow. “Could you read it to us?”

“Well… I don’t know…” hesitated Kiyoshiko, reaching into her pocket to absently fidget with the corner of the folded paper that was tucked inside. 

Kogami grinned, the end of his cigarette flaring brighter for a moment before he exhaled a puff of smoke. “Come on. …it’ll be interesting. Besides it’s not like there’s an abundance of things to keep us occupied here.”

Kiyoshiko continued to hesitate as Ginoza slipped his fingers into her pocket from where he sat behind her, with her leaning back against him. He gingerly unfolded the paper being careful not to tear it while peeling the folds open, before smoothing it a bit against his upraised knee. Gathering up Kiyoshiko’s hand Ginoza placed her fingers at the beginning of the first line. “Go ahead,… I’m sure it will be fine. And it will help pass the time until someone comes to get us.” Ginoza said, settling his fingers alongside hers on the paper.

Kiyoshiko pursed her lips slightly, turning back over her shoulder toward Ginoza for a moment, before sighing in defeat a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she began to read what was written on the page under her fingers out loud. 

_“She understands them in ways I cannot, walks beside them facing horrors I’ll never be able to witness. For them, and the others she’s a bright star, one they will always chase after. Their leader, a focus for awe and respect. For me she is a friend, a sister, and co-conspirator, the other who cares for and guards the one dearest to me. For she was by his side before I knew him, and when I cannot be._  
_His love and greatest loyalty is to me, but a part of him will always want and need her as well, though that love is not wholly the same as ours. He is both strong and weak. Feeling himself a pale shadow of the others he stands in awe of, but possessed of a will to seek to stand beyond what he can bear. To embrace and care for all those close to him without showing his need for them. He often fails to see the worth others see in him._  
_The other is the wild one, a warrior. Passionate and fierce, like fire, capable of both endangering and drawing one in. A rival, and brother to one. A mentor, example and lover to the other. A rouge, and partner in crime.”_

“A partner in crime…” muttered Akane once Kiyoshiko had fallen silent, looking over at Kogami out of the corner of her eye. 

The dark haired man, smirked, looking over to return Akane’s gaze out of the corner of his eyes which were glittering with restrained amusement as he flicked a bit of ash toward the camp fire. 

“…So is that why you two usually end up involved in some sort of foolish prank nearly every time you end up around each other for too long?” asked Ginoza, trading a longsuffering look with Akane. 

Unable to restrain himself any longer Kogami let out a burst of raucous laughter. “Oh come on Gino. ...You know it’s just some harmless fun, it’s not like we’ve done anything that wild. Besides, if she wasn’t in on it then who knows what kind of ‘crazy’ I could pull off. You know she’s the one that keeps things from going too far.”

Shifting to sit up fully Ginoza sighed, rolling his eyes while he wrapped an arm around Kiyoshiko’s shoulders, pulling her a bit closer to him as he leaned forward to rest his chin on her shoulder. “I swear… you never change, Ko. You’re still a bad influence, no matter who you’re around or how much time passes.”

“Oh yeah?” shot back Kogami, sitting up and leaning forward with a wolfish grin. “…Then next time I’ll have to drag you in on it instead, it’s no fun without a ‘partner in crime’.”

“I think not.” said Ginoza, straightening and lifting his head from Kiyoshiko’s shoulder, as he looked down his nose at Kogami, his expression one of mock distain. “After all… unlike you I actually have responsibilities. Or at the very least a sense of responsibility.”

Still grinning slightly Kogami shrugged, exhaling a last puff of smoke before flicking the remains of his cigarette into the fire. “And I don’t? …I mean I run the MWPSB, or whatever we’re making it into after all.” 

“Actually you’re in charge of Division One … I’m the one that ‘runs’ the MWPSB, if you’ve forgotten.” interjected Akane, a hint of a smile on her lips as she lightly elbowed Kogami’s side. 

The dark haired man made a face, rubbing his side in feigned pain. “Okay fine.” muttered Kogami, breathing a laugh as he pulled Akane toward him to kiss her temple. “…Then I’ll just be the power behind the throne.” He murmured against her ear.

Akane laughed, swatting his hand away. “I don’t think it’s supposed to work like that.”

“Either way, it might be a good idea for me to stay out of any hijinks,… at least for a while.” said Kiyoshiko, smiling gently as she rested a hand on her abdomen. 

Kogami and Akane’s eyes settled on Kiyoshiko, a faint frown crossing both their faces until Akane’s cleared just before Kogami’s as she put the pieces together. “Oh. So that’s what was going on.” said Akane before smiling. “Congratulations. …To you and Ginoza-san both.” 

Smiling Kiyoshiko nodded in confirmation as she spoke. “Yes, you’re right Akane. …But I didn’t want to say anything yet without Nobuchika being here too when I did.” 

“I can understand that.” murmured Akane as Kogami re-inserted himself into the conversation with a question of his own. 

“…So do you two know when you’re due,… or what it’ll be?” asked Kogami his gaze flicking back and forth between Ginoza and Kiyoshiko.

Ginoza shook his head. “Near the end of the year,… and no it’s still too early to know just yet.”

Kogami hummed quietly in reply as he reached out to add a few more pieces of wood to the fire before allowing the conversation to drift onto other topics as the group settled down for the night. 

 

The next day Akane, Kogami, Ginoza and Kiyoshiko were awoken by the sound of the cobbled together radios crackling to life as Shion’s voice broke through the interference with greater clarity than it had during the one occasion Akane had managed to make contact with the analyst the day before. 

Kogami was the first to be awakened by the sound, stirring with a quiet groan as he sat up, reaching for Akane’s shoulder where she lay beside him to nudge her awake as well. Akane sat up as well still seeming a bit groggy as she rubbed at her eyes with the back of one hand before abruptly becoming more alert as Shion’s voice carried over the comm line once again.  
“Hey… are you guys there?” asked Shion for the second time since the group had begun to rise from sleep, a very faint note of concern beginning to touch her tone. 

Akane stretched over to the radio’s gingerly pulling them closer as Ginoza and Kiyoshiko woke as well and turned their attention to what was going on. “Ah! Karanomori-san, hello. I’m sorry. Yes, we’re here.” 

“Ah. Akane-chan, good. I was starting to wonder if I was getting through.” came Shion’s quick, and rather cheerful sounding response. “Good morning. …It seems like the channel is clearer than yesterday. How are things on your end?” 

“I can hear you fine, Karanomori-san.” replied Akane covering a silent yawn with one hand as she stretched before continuing. “Have you found out anything more about what happened since yesterday?” 

“Hmm, actually we did.” said Shion the faint sound of a keyboard creeping through in the background, though somewhat quieter than the sound usually carried from Shion’s lab. “We were able to find enough of a trail to track down the people responsible, and Sho-kun was able to make the arrests early this morning.”

“Were you able to find anything out about their motivations?” asked Ginoza leaning forward slightly with an intent look in his eyes. 

Kogami seemed no less intent as he followed up Ginoza’s question with another of his own. “Was I right about it being someone that wasn’t happy about our being involved in SEAUn?”

“We’re not certain but, …So far it looks like you’re probably right that it was a dissident group Shinya-kun.” began Shion before following up with the answer to what Ginoza had asked as well. “…We still haven’t finished questioning everyone yet though Ginoza. The lower ranking members of the group were pretty quick to give us enough to hold them for the attack on the VTOL, but the leaders are a bit more closed mouthed. …But we’re working on filling in all the blanks.” 

“I see…” said Ginoza frowning a bit as he nodded. 

“It seems like whatever their motivations though, they were an isolated group.” added Shion after a moment’s pause. 

“Is Tomomi all right?” asked Kiyoshiko once there was a momentary break in the discussion. “I hope he hasn’t been any trouble for you-…” 

A slight laugh carried over the channel before Shion replied. “You don’t need to worry about Tomomi, he’s doing fine. …The Tsunemori’s are watching him right now since we were a little busy with other things. …Speaking of, we’re on our way to you now, so just hang tight for a bit longer.” 

“Thanks Karanomori-san.” said Akane smiling as she nodded, lifting a hand to end the call. “We’ll see you soon.” 

Finally several hours later a dark spot appeared on the horizon, growing gradually larger until it resolved itself into the shape of a MWPSB helicopter. As it closed in on the island the helicopter passed over the beach once before beginning to descend, eventually hovering briefly over a patch of beach where there were few tide pools and where it was just beyond the edge of the waterline, before settling onto the sand.  
“Hey,… what took you so long?!” called Kogami, waving his arm as the blades of the helicopter slowed to a stop, allowing the cloud of sand kicked up around it to settle. 

The door to the helicopter popped open allowing Yayoi, who was followed by Shion, off. Shion lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke before she replied, looking toward the foursome with an amused smile before replying. “Once we figured out you’d all survived there wasn’t any more reason to worry. After all, we knew you’d be fine as long as the four of you were together.”


	18. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ginoza, Kiyoshiko, and Tomomi return from a visit to NorAL strange occurrences begin plaguing their house. While concerning, things like cold chills in a room and objects found mysteriously relocated can have other explanations. The feeling of being watched and Tomomi's apparent conversations with someone else can't be so easily dismissed.
> 
>  
> 
> **This story takes place at the beginning of October 2121.**

It was a late night toward the beginning of October when the Ginoza family returned to Japan after spending the past two months in NorAL. The door to the small house in Meguro-ku was unlocked then opened, allowing them to enter the darkened home. Ginoza set the bags and suitcases he was carrying down near the door as Dime trailed in behind him, heading toward one side of the living room, tail wagging. Looking back over his shoulder Ginoza watched as Kiyoshiko came inside carrying three year old Tomomi, who was asleep on her shoulder and propped on one hip alongside her pregnant belly, as she closed the door behind them.

“Is he still asleep?” asked Ginoza quietly, as he straightened watching them with a gentle smile.

Kiyoshiko nodded as she came over to where Ginoza was. “Yes,… all the traveling finally wore him out I think.” 

“It was a long trip. ...Here, I’ll put him to bed.” agreed Ginoza before reaching out to take Tomomi from her, which prompted a sleepy whine from the little boy before he was settled with his head on his father’s shoulder and quickly fell asleep once more. “Go and sit down for a few minutes at least. You’ve been on your feet a lot today.”

Kiyoshiko frowned almost imperceptibly. “…I can do it, Nobuchika.” she murmured beginning to reach out to take Tomomi back from Ginoza.

Ginoza nodded, cupping her cheek with his free hand. “Yes, I know you can. …But I’ll get him ready for bed this time.” He said as he stroked her cheek with his thumb for a moment before letting his hand fall, starting to turn to leave the room. “…Go on, sit.”

Kiyoshiko huffed slightly in response before pausing and shaking her head, a fond smile coming to her lips. “I’m not going to win this one, am I? …Okay…” She turned and moved toward one of the chairs in the living room. “…Thanks Nobuchika.” Kiyoshiko murmured as she sank down into the chair with a soft sigh. 

“Of course.” replied Ginoza looking back to smile at her for a moment, before his attention was drawn away briefly to Dime as the husky rolled onto his back while wagging his tail enthusiastically, looking up toward the ceiling as if he were expecting someone to rub his belly even though there was no one there. A faint frown crossed Ginoza’s face for an instant, before he shook his head and turned, making his way down the hall to Tomomi’s room.

After getting Tomomi changed into pajamas, settled in bed and tucked in, Ginoza returned to the living room his steps pausing for a moment as he spotted Kiyoshiko already asleep where she was sitting. Crossing the room silently Ginoza crouched down beside Kiyoshiko’s chair, propping his forearms on the chair’s armrest, with his chin resting on his wrist as he looked up at her. Enjoying the quiet of the moment Ginoza spent some time studying the way the moonlight coming in through the window reflected off her hair and allowed Kiyoshiko’s eyelashes to cast faint shadows on her cheeks. It still amazed Ginoza how beautiful she was in moments like this when he was able to simply sit and admire her. Letting his eyes trail downward Ginoza smiled slightly at the way one of Kiyoshiko’s hands rested protectively on her belly, and he reached out to take her free hand, feeling her fingers curl around his even though she was still asleep. Letting out a breath in a content sigh Ginoza pulled Kiyoshiko’s hand closer, rubbing his thumb over it before bending his head to place a kiss on her knuckles.

A sudden drop in the temperature of the room caused Ginoza to shiver, feeling goose bumps rising on his skin in response to the cold chill of the air. Frowning Ginoza looked around trying to find some sort of explanation for the draft, before giving up and pushing himself to his feet the mood of earlier having faded somewhat. Leaning forward over Kiyoshiko’s chair Ginoza steadied himself with one hand on the back of it as he kissed her forehead before speaking. “Wake up,… I’ve gotten Tomomi settled in bed now.” murmured Ginoza softly against Kiyoshiko’s temple. 

Kiyoshiko stirred responding with a half awake mumble about wanting to kiss Tomomi goodnight and needing to start unpacking the luggage from their trip and put the clothes into the laundry, as she started to push herself out of her chair. 

Shaking his head Ginoza chuckled quietly as he helped Kiyoshiko to her feet. “The unpacking and everything else can wait until tomorrow. …Just go tell Tomomi goodnight, all right?” 

“…Hmm, okay…” replied Kiyoshiko before covering her mouth with one hand as she yawned. A few moments later Kiyoshiko wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her arms as a shudder ran through her. “…Why is it so cold in here?” she asked, sounding a bit more alert now.

“Perhaps the house just needs time to warm up, since we’ve been away.” said Ginoza putting a reassuring tone into his voice as he started down the hall with Kiyoshiko, keeping a hand on her arm. “…Don’t worry about it.” 

At the doorway of Tomomi’s room Ginoza stood looking in, watching as Kiyoshiko brushed their son’s hair back from his forehead before leaning down to kiss him as he slept. As Kiyoshiko rejoined Ginoza in the hallway, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders, looking down at her with a small smile as she leaned against him slightly in response. “And now I think we should turn in as well… Come to bed with me?”

“Mmm, …Always.” murmured Kiyoshiko the sleepy tone returning to her voice as she wrapped her arm around Ginoza’s waist while they walked the short distance down the hall to their room. 

 

Light filtering in past the edges of the drawn curtains the next morning pulled Ginoza from sleep as groaned softly, rolling over to bury his face in his pillow until the last vestiges of sleep faded. A few moments later Ginoza opened his eyes, glancing to the other side of the bed he saw that it was empty, and he could distantly hear sounds coming from another part of the house. Sitting up as he ran a hand through his hair which hung loose around his face Ginoza pushed back the sheets and slid out of bed, beginning to get ready for the day. 

A short time later Ginoza emerged from the bedroom, straightening his tie as he made his way down the hall, he was dressed for work his hair pulled back into its usual ponytail. Passing through the living room Ginoza saw that the luggage was already part way unpacked, and he could hear the sound of the washing machine running in another room. 

“…Good morning...” said Ginoza as he came into the kitchen his eyes landing briefly on the cup of mint tea sitting on the table before going over to take a mug down from the cabinet. He came to a stop next to the stove where Kiyoshiko was cooking, pouring himself a cup of coffee before reaching out to tuck Kiyoshiko’s hair back behind her ear. “…You’ve been busy already.”

Kiyoshiko flipped the eggs in the pan in front of her then turned toward Ginoza tilting her face up for a kiss, which was willingly given, before replying. “Good morning Nobuchika. Only for a little while, it was easier to go ahead and start on unpacking once I woke up.” Kiyoshiko turned down the heat under another pan, then turned to face Ginoza fully, brushing his cheek with her fingers before letting them slide down to rest on the knot of his tie. “You’re still planning to go into work a day early then?” 

“Yes,… I want to get caught up on what I’ve missed, before I actually have to start in on the current cases.” said Ginoza nodding as he turned to lean back against the counter top, sipping at his coffee. 

“…Then would you take the book my father sent for Akane with you and give it to her?” asked Kiyoshiko turning a measure of her attention back toward her cooking, though her face was still turned partially toward Ginoza as she worked. 

Ginoza nodded glancing around the kitchen area once more, without spotting the book in question. “Where is it?” 

Kiyoshiko smiled motioning with her head toward where the front door was located a couple rooms away. “I left it by the door,… I was going to take it myself if I could find time today otherwise.” After a moment Kiyoshiko continued, testing the consistency of one of the things she was cooking with the edge of a spatula. “Go ahead and sit down…this is about ready now. I’m afraid that the ingredients are only replicated ones though. I need to go shopping, now that we’re back.” said Kiyoshiko as she turned back to the stove.

“If you tell me what we need, I could stop on my home this evening and pick up some things. At least enough to last until there’s time for you to do a more extensive shopping trip.” offered Ginoza glancing up from his coffee, where he rested the mug on the table’s surface, between sips.

“…Are you sure you don’t mind?” asked Kiyoshiko as she took a plate out of the cabinet nearby filling the plate with what she had been cooking before carrying it over to the table.

“…I don’t mind.” replied Ginoza as he began eating the meal that Kiyoshiko had set in front of him. 

“Okay,… thanks Nobuchika.” agreed Kiyoshiko nodding as she went back to the stove briefly before coming to sit across from Ginoza picking up the cup of tea that was sitting there. She sipped at it for several minutes as they sat in silence, before frowning as she turned her attention back to Ginoza. “…Nobuchika,…” began Kiyoshiko hesitating for a few moments more before starting again. “Um, …Did you take your old trench coat, the tan one,… out of the closet where we had it stored?

Looking up from the last of his breakfast Ginoza shook his head, an uncertain expression coming to his face as he looked over at Kiyoshiko. “No,… Is there some reason-…?” 

“Oh.” murmured Kiyoshiko before shaking her head, one shoulder moving in a shrug as put on a smile that didn’t quite erase her frown. “…No, it’s nothing.” 

“Hmm, if you say so.” said Ginoza, accepting Kiyoshiko’s response even though he didn’t really understand why she had asked about the coat, as sipped at his coffee while studying her. 

Kiyoshiko shook her head once more. “Really,… it’s not important.” She said waving a hand dismissively before changing the subject. “…Do you think that you’ll have much to catch up on at work?” 

“It’s difficult to say, …Hayato has been keeping me informed while we were away, and I have looked at the most recent case reports but it’s difficult to get a full picture of some of the evidence without physically examining it.” sighing slightly Ginoza rose from the table picking up his now empty plate and carrying it to the sink. “…With that said, I should be going. …I will try not to be home too late this evening.” 

“Okay.” agreed Kiyoshiko nodding as she pushed herself up from the table. She trailed after Ginoza as he made his way to the door, pausing to pick up the book for Akane from the foyer table and put it into his briefcase. “Have a good day, Nobuchika.” 

Smiling slightly Ginoza reached out to touch Kiyoshiko’s cheek, looking as if he were going to say something before he was interrupted by the sound of childish chatter and laugher from another part of the house.  
“It sounds like Tomomi is awake…” murmured Ginoza glancing toward the end of the house where Tomomi’s bedroom was located. After shrugging into his coat Ginoza bent to kiss Kiyoshiko’s forehead, pulling her close for a moment before straightening. Stepping away toward the door, after picking up his briefcase Ginoza glanced back over his shoulder. “Remember to send me the list when you’ve put it together.”

After Ginoza left the remainder of the morning passed with the time occupied by getting Tomomi dressed and fed breakfast, along with several more loads of laundry being completed and folded, with Tomomi’s ‘help’ on the first one and a half piles, before he was put down for an afternoon nap. With the house quieter Kiyoshiko’s mind returned to the coat which was draped over the back of a chair near the closet as she put some of their other freshly laundered clothes away. Picking it up Kiyoshiko confirmed once more that it was Ginoza’s tan trench coat, the one he had told her resembled a coat his father owned and that he had worn for a time after Masaoka’s death. Still it didn’t explain what the coat had been doing in the middle of the hallway when she had woken up that morning. Hanging the coat up in the storage closet with the other items she had put in it Kiyoshiko shook her head, trying to push away the faint uneasiness she felt at the lack of an explanation as she continued with the rest of the unpacking and chores.

Going back to retrieve the now mostly empty suitcases from where they sat inside the foyer Kiyoshiko’s foot came down on something laying on the floor a few steps between her and the waiting luggage. Frowning Kiyoshiko bent to pick up the object she had stepped on, running her fingers lightly over it for a moment before determining that it was one of the pictures that normally sat on a shelf in the living room. Specifically a picture of herself and Ginoza along with Kogami and Akane that had been taken at their wedding. “…What is it doing in here?” murmured Kiyoshiko shivering slightly in the cold that pervaded the room. _…Tomomi surely couldn’t have reached high enough to take it down,… and I would have heard it fall if he had somehow managed to knock it off the shelf… Besides he’s sleeping right now._

Rubbing her arms in an attempt to dispel the chill, Kiyoshiko picked up one of the suitcases in her free hand carrying it back toward the living room where she set it near the base of the shelf along one wall, intending to pause only long enough to replace the mysteriously moved picture. Raising her hands to the shelf Kiyoshiko quickly realized that the frame she held was not the only one that had been moved out of place as she noted that the order of the pictures had been shifted on the shelf. Pressing her lips together Kiyoshiko had started to rearrange the pictures when she heard a sudden burst of laughter from Tomomi’s room followed by the high, cheerful tones of his voice as he spoke, sounding almost as if Tomomi were replying to someone. 

Turning away from the shelf Kiyoshiko walked down the hall toward Tomomi’s room, her hand pausing on the door knob briefly when Tomomi’s chatter fell suddenly silent. Opening the door Kiyoshiko stepped into the room listening for a moment before making her way over to the bed, where Tomomi was curled up under his blanket giving off the appearance that he was asleep. Kiyoshiko reached down to run her fingers through Tomomi’s raven locks, smiling a bit to herself as he wiggled tucking his face into his pillow more deeply as if trying harder to sell the illusion of slumber. 

“Oh, are you still sleeping? …And I thought I heard you playing in here.” she murmured quietly, sitting down on the edge of Tomomi’s bed. 

Uncurling as his green-brown eyes opened Tomomi smiled, stretching his arms over his head, giggling and trying to wriggle away as Kiyoshiko tickled his sides chuckling along with him. Sitting up once he was no longer being tickled Tomomi climbed onto Kiyoshiko’s lap, leaning against her shoulder as he looked up at her. “Play outside now?” asked Tomomi, reminding Kiyoshiko of his having wanted to play fetch with Dime before his nap. 

Kiyoshiko put her arm around Tomomi, the thought of just how much it sounded like Tomomi had been talking to someone before she entered the room passing through her mind once more, as she stroked Tomomi’s hair before she let out her breath in a sigh. “Okay for a little while,… but we’ll have to put your coat and hat on first.” said Kiyoshiko as she nodded. 

Tomomi cheered as he slid off Kiyoshiko’s lap already shouting for Dime, who had been resting at the foot of Ginoza and Kiyoshiko’s bed, as he charged out of his room, seeming oblivious to anything being out of the ordinary.  
_…Maybe it’s only my imagination after all…_ thought Kiyoshiko, hoping that some time outside would help lessen the unease that she was feeling.

 

Over the next days a regular routine resumed, though the strange occurrences continued with no explanation for their cause. Once or twice Kiyoshiko had considered bringing them up to Ginoza after they had settled in for the night, but hesitated over doing so. It was possible she was imagining most of them, and the few incidents there was evidence for could be nearly all be attributed to other explanations. Still it left her decidedly on edge, especially when she had felt for almost the entire day as if she were being watched, or at least that there was someone present in the house apart from Dime and Tomomi, while Ginoza was at work.

Coming home that evening Ginoza pushed the door closed quietly behind him, shedding his coat before heading toward the kitchen. He came up behind Kiyoshiko, leaning forward to wrap his arms around her waist as he turned his head to kiss her temple. As Ginoza did Kiyoshiko gasped and flinched, jerking away from him, nearly pulling the pot she was cooking in off the stove in the process. Ginoza hastily reached out with his prosthetic arm to grab the pot and steady it. Eyes wide he looked over at Kiyoshiko, who had moved a couple steps away, his expression alarmed. “Kiyoshiko, what-? …Are you all right? Did something happen while I was gone?”

“Oh, you scared me!” exclaimed Kiyoshiko before shaking her head, one hand pressed to her stomach as she caught her breath. “No. …I’m all right... It’s just-… since we’ve been back, there’s been something wrong. I can feel it.” sighing Kiyoshiko ran her fingers through her hair before tucking it back behind one ear as she continued. “…At first I thought I might have been imagining things, but there’s something strange going on and I don’t know what it is.”

Ginoza frowned his alarmed expression easing into one of concern instead as he shook his head. “Kiyoshiko,… that doesn’t make any sense. If there were something untoward going on, we would know about it already. After all it’s not likely that the house’s security system wouldn’t have picked up on something it there were.” Ginoza paused as he debated on how to phrase what he was thinking without sounding dismissive. Letting out a breath he decided that nearly any way he said it, it could come across the same. “…You’ve been,… more anxious than usual with this pregnancy. Is it possible that this feeling is simply part of the effects you’ve been experiencing already?”

Kiyoshiko raised her chin, turning her face toward Ginoza for a moment before shifting her attention back toward the stove, frowning as she replied. “Nobuchika… I’m serious. There’s something weird going on.” said Kiyoshiko, turning off the stove before turning to face Ginoza fully. “It’s not just pictures being moved, or your coat being out of the closet without either of us taking it out. Sometimes I feel like there’s someone else in the room, but no one is there. …There’s also been at least twice that I’ve walked into a room and it’s been freezing cold for no reason.” 

Ginoza leaned a hip against the edge of the counter, folding his arms over his chest as he listened, frowning slightly. “There could be another explanation for that though. Couldn’t the cooling system have malfunctioned? We have been away for quite a while, so it hasn’t been in use regularly for some time.”

Kiyoshiko sighed then nodded, still wearing a hint of her earlier frown. “I guess you could be right about that part of it…”

“I’ll check the system and make sure it’s working properly, all right? Why don’t you go and talk to Tomomi,… make sure he’s not just playing a trick on us?” Unfolding his arms, Ginoza pushed away from the counter, stepping over to take Kiyoshiko’s hand in one of his before cupping her cheek gently. “We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry.”

Beginning to calm down enough to smile faintly, Kiyoshiko nodded once more, then laughed softly. “…It’s still such a turn around, you telling me not to worry so much.”

“I’ll say it as many times as you need to hear it.” murmured Ginoza as he leaned forward to place a light kiss on her forehead, letting his hand fall from her cheek to caress her rounded stomach for a moment before he stepped back turning to leave the kitchen. “Go ahead and talk to Tomomi while I check the cooling system.” 

Ginoza frowned as he walked down the hall way after leaving the kitchen. He hadn’t wanted to worry Kiyoshiko any more than she was already, but he had noticed some unusual occurrences as well, in addition to the ones she was aware of. He had found doors inexplicably opened when they had been left closed, including one that could have led to Dime or Tomomi getting outside unnoticed. _…Or letting someone in._ thought Ginoza, trying to suppress a growing sensation of anxiety. He had also noticed a few occasions when Dime had seemed to react to something that wasn’t there. Shortly after they had arrived Dime had stood for several minutes facing a wall of the living room looking up at something and wagging his tail before rolling over as if to have his belly rubbed. _Kiyoshiko may be right. …There is something strange going on._

Kiyoshiko made her way to Tomomi’s room, where her son was busy playing. She stood in the doorway, listening for several moments before stepping into the room, moving carefully to avoid tripping on any toys left out. “Tomomi, I need to ask you about something.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “…I promise your father and I won’t be upset. We’re just trying to understand what’s going on…” said Kiyoshiko as she carefully crouched down to put herself on eye level with Tomomi. “Do you know who moved the pictures and your daddy’s coat? Can you tell me?” 

“Uh-huh…” replied Tomomi nodding, his attention fixed on the toy car he was pushing around on the floor in front of him. “…It was the man.”

 _A man? …In our house?_ Kiyoshiko drew back at her son’s words, trying to conceal her concern as she turned to look over her shoulder toward the doorway. “Gino… Can you come here please?” she called. 

A few moments later Ginoza came into the room trailed by Dime. His expression was composed though his eyes were worried as his gaze quickly surveyed the room. He went over to Kiyoshiko, gently helping her to stand before wrapping one arm protectively around her shoulders once she was on her feet. “What’s wrong?” he murmured quietly. 

Kiyoshiko shook her head slightly, then turned back toward Tomomi. “Tomomi, can you tell your father what you just told me? About the person who took his coat out of the closet. The man?” As she spoke she could feel Ginoza tense beside her at the last words, his gaze flicking around the room once more. 

“A man?” repeated Ginoza frowning

Tomomi nodded, still focused more on playing with his toy than his parents growing concern over a potential intruder. “…He’s tall... and he has a metal arm just like daddy’s. …And he’s old.” Tomomi looked up, glancing toward a corner of the room slightly behind Ginoza and Kiyoshiko for a moment before looking back toward them with a pleased smile. “But his name is the same as mine.”

Ginoza glanced over his shoulder briefly toward the corner Tomomi had seemed to focus on, then moved a step away from Kiyoshiko, crouching down in front of Tomomi. He reached out to still his son’s playing for a moment to be sure he had his attention. “Tomomi. You said a man moved my coat. When did you see him?”

Tomomi looked up at Ginoza, his green-brown eyes serious. “He came to my room after we got here. And he talked to me.”

“He spoke to you?” repeated Ginoza looking back toward Kiyoshiko for a moment, making an inquiring sound, who shook her head shrugging in response. After a moment he turned back to Tomomi studying his son intently. “What sort of things did he say?”

Tomomi glanced toward the corner once more before beginning. “He said he’s glad he finally got to meet me. And that he likes it when you come to visit him. …But that you shouldn’t be gone so long. …That Japan is your home after all…” Tomomi said retrieving his toy from Ginoza’s hand, beginning to play once more as he continued. His words were slow and interspersed with pauses as if relaying someone else’s words a bit at a time. “He’s glad you finally found your path. …And that she’s a pretty one too. …Then he did this.” Tomomi paused looking up at Ginoza, trying to close only one eye several times in a wink before finally reaching up and using one finger to hold an eyelid closed. 

“He did?...” murmured Ginoza his expression slowly slipping toward confusion mixed with hesitance. He bit his lip for a moment before his next question. “…D-did he say anything else?”

Tomomi nodded, glancing away again before looking back to Ginoza. “He says he’s glad you finally are giving him some grandkids,… but that it took you long enough. …And that he’s proud of you. …Of the man you’ve become.”

Ginoza stared at his son his green eyes wide, then gasped, jerking as he felt an icy cold sensation press itself against his cheek. He swallowed hard, blinking rapidly for a moment before speaking. “I-Is he really-…?” Covering his face with his good hand, Ginoza made a noise that sounded somewhere between a suppressed sob and a laugh. Looking back up after taking a moment to compose himself, he cleared his throat before murmuring quietly. “Can-… can you tell him something for me? …Will you tell him, that I’m sorry. …And, that I love him?”

Tomomi studied his father for a moment then set aside his toy, getting up to wrap his arms around Ginoza’s neck in a childish hug. He rested his round cheek against Ginoza’s before answering. “He knows.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone, I hope you enjoyed some Halloween fluff and a ghost Masaoka. :)

**Author's Note:**

>    
> You can connect with me on Twitter [ @RennarenofAO3, ](https://twitter.com/RennarenofAO3) or on Tumblr also [ @RennarenofAO3.](https://rennarenofao3.tumblr.com/)


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